What Causes High Blood Pressure? High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is often called the “silent killer” because it usually has no obvious symptoms. Many people don’t realize they have it until it leads to serious health problems like heart disease or stroke. Understanding what causes high blood pressure can help you prevent and control it. 1. Excess Salt Intake Eating too much salt causes your body to retain water, increasing pressure in your blood vessels. Processed and fast foods are major hidden sources of salt. 2. Lack of Physical Activity A sedentary lifestyle weakens the heart, making it harder to pump blood efficiently. This increases pressure on your arteries over time. 3. Being Overweight or Obese Extra body weight puts additional strain on your heart and blood vessels, raising blood pressure levels. 4. Chronic Stress Long-term stress can temporarily raise blood pressure and lead to unhealthy habits like overeating, smoking, or drinking alcohol. 5...