High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure happens when blood cannot flow easily through your blood vessels. This creates pressure in your vessels, which damages the vessels and strains your heart. As a result, blood doesn't flow as well to your brain or kidneys, and you can have a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. The number of African Americans with high blood pressure is high: one out of three African Americans have it. Certain factors increase your chances of having high blood pressure: increasing age (middle aged or older), diabetes, obesity (or being overweight), alcohol use, eating too much salt, a family history of high blood pressure, and not exercising.