Determinants of mean arterial pressure Illustration depicting the effects of<unk> igh blood pressure In most people with established essential<unk> , increased resistance to blood flow (total peripheral resistance) accounts for the<unk> igh pressure while cardiac output remains normal. There is evidence that some younger people with prehypertension or 'borderline<unk> '<unk> ave<unk> igh cardiac output, an elevated<unk> eart rate and normal peripheral resistance, termed<unk> yperkinetic borderline<unk> . These individuals develop the typical features of established essential<unk>  in later life as their cardiac output falls and peripheral resistance rises with age. Whether this pattern is typical of all people who ultimately develop<unk>  is disputed. The increased peripheral resistance in established<unk>  is mainly attributable to structural narrowing of small arteries and arterioles, although a reduction in the number or density of capillaries may also contribute. It is not clear whether or not vasoconstriction of arteriolar blood vessels plays a role in<unk> .<unk>  is also associated with decreased peripheral venous compliance which may increase venous return, increase cardiac preload and, ultimately, cause diastolic dysfunction. Pulse pressure (the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure) is frequently increased in older people with<unk> . This can mean that systolic pressure is abnormally<unk> igh, but diastolic pressure may be normal or low, a condition termed isolated systolic<unk> . The<unk> igh pulse pressure in elderly people with<unk>  or isolated systolic<unk>  is explained by increased arterial stiffness, which typically accompanies aging and may be exacerbated by<unk> igh blood pressure. Many mechanisms<unk> ave been proposed to account for the rise in peripheral resistance in<unk> . Most evidence implicates either disturbances in the kidneys' salt and water<unk> andling (particularly abnormalities in the intrarenal renin–angiotensin system) or abnormalities of the sympathetic nervous system. These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive and it is likely that both contribute to some extent in most cases of essential<unk> . It<unk> as also been suggested that endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation may also contribute to increased peripheral resistance and vascular damage in<unk> . Interleukin 17<unk> as garnered interest for its role in increasing the production of several other immune system chemical signals thought to be involved in<unk>  such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1, interleukin 6, and interleukin 8. Excessive sodium or insufficient potassium in the diet leads to excessive intracellular sodium, which contracts vascular smooth muscle, restricting blood flow and so increases blood pressure.
Hypertension
Obesity
Prehypertension
Diabetes
Body mass index
Abdominal obesity
Smoking
Exercise