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Disease Etiology
Hypertension is elevated blood pressure (BP), generally defined as a systolic pressure (SBP) at rest that is 140 mmHg or greater or diastolic pressure (DBP) at rest that is 90 mmHg or greater, or both (1-3). Systolic pressure is the pressure when the heart contracts (reflecting the highest pressure in the arteries) and diastolic pressure is the pressure when the heart relaxes.
Family history, obesity, lack of physical activity, stress, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption