An unhealthy carbohydrate and fat-rich diet, an inactive and sedentary lifestyle, and a number of other factors cause cholesterol, a soluble fat, to build up in your body.

The cholesterol usually circulates in your blood, and gets deposited along the walls of the blood vessels. This deposition causes a narrowing of the blood vessels, thereby causing your blood pressure to rise.

The WHO report attributes cholesterol as being the causative factor for one-third of high BP and cardiovascular disease occurrence in the world.

Sedentary lifestyles, poor diet and smoking are harmful

Inactive and sedentary lifestyles, tobacco use, and low fruit and vegetable intake each account for 20 percent of the remaining. (These percentages add up to more than 100 percent because some risks overlap. You could be at risk from cholesterol alone, while your friend could be at risk from cholesterol as well as blood pressure).

The aforementioned are the physiological causes of blood pressure. The emotional and psychological state of an individual play a strong role in determining the possibility of an individual succumbing to high BP owing to the physiological factors.

The importance of diet

Diet plays a significant role in determining the possibility of a person developing high BP.

There is a standard advice, given in a lighter vein, to a heart patient "no hurry, no worry and no curry". The last term, curry, refers to food habits. Curry has been equated to fat-rich and thick-gravy preparations, which you must avoided if you are suffering from high BP, or have any cardiovascular disease.

Hurry and worry are known to lead to high levels of stress. This results in the build up of stress hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline) and also strains the nervous network near the heart, primarily the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve originates from the brain and connects with the heart muscles, and ensures the rhythmic movement of this most vital organ of our body.

Other risk factors

Besides unhealthy food habits, other factors known to influence the chances of high BP are irregular working hours, lack of rest, habits such as smoking and drinking. If you already have high BP and are also hypertensive, these factors can cause serious aggravation.

High BP can also be a consequence of pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, gout, and kidney disease. Temporary metabolic changes, as seen during pregnancy, or caused by the use of birth control pills may also lead to high BP. Other reasons for high BP and hypertension are family history, genetic makeup, obesity, and advancing age.

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