Age

• According to a Mayo Clinic study, age is considered to be one of the prime factors in high blood pressure because the chances of developing hypertension increase with age. As you age, the blood vessels inside the body begin to constrict, hence reducing the volume of blood flow. As a result increased amount of pressure is exerted by the blood so it can pass through the narrowing blood vessels.
  
  

Race

• According to a Mayo Clinic study, it has been found that people with darker skin tone are more susceptible to the development of high blood pressure as compared to individuals with lighter skin color. Also, researchers at the clinic have found that black people are at an increased risk of developing various complications associated with hypertension such as strokes and heart failure. However, the exact reason for such risk is not known.
  
  

Hereditary and Genetic Factors

• According to a study by the Mayo Clinic, it has been found that hereditary and genetic factors also play vital roles in the development of high blood pressure because it has been found that hypertension tends to run in families. The hereditary factors cause the transmission of the condition from one generation to the next generation.
  
  

Smoking

• Smoking tobacco products such as cigarettes and pipes tends to increase blood pressure, the Mayo Clinic reports. Even exposure to secondhand smoke is considered to be one of the major factors resulting in elevation of blood pressure. The chemicals present in such products often get accumulated over the walls of the blood vessels and arteries and lead to high blood pressure in individuals.
  
  

Other Common Causes

• Various other common factors considered to be possible causes of hypertension, according to the Mayo Clinic, include reduction in levels of vitamin D, low potassium levels, excessive consumption of alcohol, and stress, among others.