Reasons for High Systolic Blood Pressure

According to the National Institutes of Health, more than two-thirds of Americans over age 65 have high blood pressure. High systolic blood pressure is more common as people age, and may be controlled by changing personal behaviors and taking prescription medications as prescribed by a doctor.

Identification

• Systolic blood pressure is the first number in a blood pressure reading. High systolic blood pressure is diagnosed after more than two readings of 140 or higher for systolic pressure.

Function

• Systolic blood pressure measures how much force the heart uses to pump blood through the body and is measured during routine medical visits as a way to gauge overall health.

Heart Vessels Harden

• As people age, heart vessels harden and the heart has to pump harder for the blood to go through, which is the primary reason for high systolic blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.

Obesity

• Obesity may be a cause of high systolic blood pressure, and a person's waist width is a good predictor of high blood pressure in children and adults.

Renal Hypertension

• According to the Mayo Clinic, a secondary cause of high systolic blood pressure is renal hypertension, a kidney disease that causes the renal artery to harden and become narrow.

Adrenal Tumors

• A rare cause of high systolic blood pressure is adrenal tumors, which can cause the adrenal glands to secrete hormones that increase blood pressure.

Metabolic Syndrome

• Metabolic syndrome, a form of insulin insensitivity, can cause high systolic blood pressure, as well as the risk of developing diabetes, according to the National Institutes of Health.