In the vast majority of cases (>80%), high blood pressure is caused by lifestyle habits such as unhealthy eating patterns, insufficient physical activity, and excessive intake of alcohol.[1] Consequently, there is a direct relationship between increases in body mass index or waist-to-hip ratio and increases in blood pressure.[2] Genetic variants also influence blood pressure, but they only contribute to about 3.5% of the variability in blood pressure between people.[1]
In about 10-20% of cases, high blood pressure is caused by a separate medical condition (e.g., primary aldosteronism, renal artery stenosis, obstructive sleep apnea). Primary aldosteronism is increasingly recognized as an underdiagnosed cause of high blood pressure and may be responsible in up to 10% of cases.[3]