High blood pressure is very common, especially in older adults. There are usually no symptoms, so you may not realise you have it.

Things that increase your chances of having high blood pressure include:

your age – you’re more likely to get high blood pressure as you get older
having close relatives with high blood pressure
your ethnicity – you’re at higher risk if you have a Black African, Black Caribbean or South Asian ethnic background
having an unhealthy diet – especially a diet that’s high in salt
being overweight
smoking
drinking too much alcohol
feeling stressed over a long period