High blood pressure quiz: Are you at risk?

Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure becomes dangerously high. That's why high blood pressure is known as the silent killer. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.

The risk of high blood pressure increases as you get older, but high blood pressure can develop at any age. Even children can have high blood pressure. Lifestyle changes — such as eating healthy foods, increasing physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and stopping smoking — can help you prevent or control high blood pressure.

Although stressful situations can cause temporary increases in blood pressure, you aren't necessarily destined to develop high blood pressure if you're stressed, competitive and impatient. Similarly, you aren't immune from high blood pressure if you're calm, easygoing and relaxed. Lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise are more likely to influence your blood pressure than is your personality.

Lifestyle factors — such as excess weight, inactivity and smoking — can contribute to high blood pressure. But for most people, the specific cause is unknown. In fact, in 90 percent to 95 percent of high blood pressure cases, the American Heart Association says there's no identifiable cause. This type of high blood pressure, called essential hypertension or primary hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.

Using less salt is an important part of keeping blood pressure in check. Most people should aim for less than 2,400 milligrams of sodium — about 1 teaspoon of table salt — a day. That includes all the sodium in canned foods and other processed foods, not just the salt you add to your food. Read labels carefully to find out how much sodium you're consuming. You might be surprised.

You may be experiencing what's known as white-coat hypertension — a temporary increase in blood pressure that may be triggered by anxiety during medical visits. But it's still important to determine if you do in fact have high blood pressure. Your doctor may ask you to measure and record your blood pressure at home more often or use a device that records your blood pressure for a 24-hour period outside the medical environment.

Ask your doctor for a blood pressure reading at least every two years. He or she may recommend more frequent readings if you have prehypertension, high blood pressure or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Blacks have the highest risk of developing high blood pressure. Blacks tend to develop high blood pressure earlier than do people from other racial groups, and their average blood pressure tends to be higher. But effective treatment is available. Regardless of race, you can take steps to prevent and control high blood pressure.

High blood pressure tends to run in families — but it's not inevitable. To reduce your risk:

• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Increase physical activity.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Reduce the amount of sodium in your diet.
• Quit smoking, if you smoke.
• Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.

Blood pressure below 140/90 was once considered acceptable. But in 2003, new blood pressure guidelines dropped the normal range to below 120/80. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 139/89, you have prehypertension — and your blood pressure could become a problem if you don't take steps to lower it.