A proper balance of potassium is critical for good heart health. Potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in your cells. Too much sodium in your diet can cause your body to retain fluid, which increases blood pressure. Secondhand smoke also can increase your heart disease risk. This can cause your arteries to narrow and increase your risk of heart disease. Not only does smoking or chewing tobacco immediately raise your blood pressure temporarily, but the chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls. Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction and the stronger the force on your arteries. People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates. As the amount of blood flow through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls. The more you weigh, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. High blood pressure tends to run in families. Serious complications, such as stroke, heart attack and kidney failure, also are more common in people of African heritage. High blood pressure is particularly common among people of African heritage, often developing at an earlier age than it does in whites. Women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after age 65. Until about age 64, high blood pressure is more common in men. The risk of high blood pressure increases as you age. High blood pressure has many risk factors, including: Show more related information Risk factors
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