Have you ever been caught in aggravating traffic, stuck in a long, endless line, or fretted over a family emergency? Then you've probably felt a momentary rise in blood pressure.

• Heredity - high blood pressure runs in families. If your parents or other blood relatives have had hypertension, you are also a prime candidate.
  
• Race - African-Americans are more likely to be hypertensive than are White Americans. In addition, the effects often strike earlier and more severely.
  
• Weight - if you are 30 percent or more above your ideal weight, you are at a higher risk of high blood pressure.

The good news is that there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of getting hypertension or limit its effects:

• Exercise at least 30 minutes three times a week.
• Reduce your salt intake.
• Stop smoking.
• Avoid or limit alcohol, as too much alcohol actually increases blood pressure.
• If you take blood pressure medication, follow your doctor's instructions. Do not stop taking your blood pressure medication unless your doctor recommends it.

High blood pressure may strike in silence, but there no reason for it to catch you unaware. A cuff around your arm is the first simple step in avoiding hypertension's potentially devastating grip.

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