There are many reasons why people have hypertension. Some of them are inherited, and other reasons are chosen, such as eating habits and smoking. There are a number of different factors that you can look for to see if you are at risk for hypertension. While some people can be more “at risk”, no one is exempt from potentially having high blood pressure. It does not discriminate against race, age, or gender. Some of these factors are controllable and therefore can be avoided to help lower or prevent hypertension, while other factors are inescapable.