There are a number of reasons for high systolic blood pressure. Some are temporary, like recently smoking or taking a decongestant. Some are chronic, such as having essential hypertension or kidney disease. According to the National Heart Lung Blood Institute, having only an elevation of the systolic blood pressure, a condition called isolated systolic hypertension, is the most common type of hypertension in people who are older than 60 years of age.
Essential Hypertension
In the January 2000 issue of "Circulation", Drs. Oscar Carretero and Suzanne Oparil define essential hypertension as "high blood pressure in which secondary causes...are not present". Essential hypertension is also called primary or idiopathic hypertension and is the cause of elevated blood pressure in an estimated 95 percent of people who have hypertension.
Isolated Systolic Hypertension
Isolated systolic hypertension is a form of essential hypertension in which only the systolic blood pressure is elevated. Approximately 65 percent of people with hypertension who are 60 years of age or older have isolated systolic hypertension, according to the National Heart Lung Blood Institute.
Other Medical Diagnoses
According to the Seventh Report of the Joint National Commission on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, published in the May 2003 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association", people who have other types of diseases or medical conditions can have elevated systolic blood pressure. People with obstructive sleep apnea, chronic kidney disease, primary aldosteronism, pheochromocytoma, coarctation of the aorta, thyroid disease, parathyroid disease or Cushing's syndrome may have elevated blood pressure because of these conditions.
Medications and Other Substances
According to Drs. Jennifer Frank and David Sommerfeld in an article published in the July 2009 issue of "Integrated Blood Pressure Control", a number of prescription, over-the-counter and illicits drugs can cause elevated systolic blood pressure. Some of the more common drugs causing a person to have high blood pressure include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, like ibuprofen, oral contraceptive pills, cocaine and stimulant medications. Drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco can also cause high blood pressure.
References
- NHLBI: What Are High Blood Pressure and Prehypertension?
- "Circulation"; Essential Hypertension; Oscar Carretero, MD and Suzanne Oparil, MD;January 2000.
- "Integrated Blood Pressure Control"; Clinical Approach in Treatment of Resistant Hypertension; Jennifer Frank, MD and David Sommerfeld, MD; July 2009
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure; Aram V. Chobanian, MD, George L. Bakris, MD, Henry R. Black, MD, et al.; May 2003
