High blood pressure (HBP) is common among senior citizens in the United States and is a serious condition that can significantly increase the probability of having coronary heart disease, a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems and risks. In literal terms, "blood pressure" is the force of blood pushing against arterial walls while the heart pumps out blood.

The heart is a small but very powerful pump that beats steadily throughout your life, circulating five litres (more than 10 pints of blood) around the body every minute. The smaller blood vessels through which the blood passes produce a resistance to blood flow. The pumping of the heart against this resistance creates the blood pressure necessary for the circulation of the blood.

It can also cause a kidney disease. That happens over time, with high blood pressure narrowing and thickening the blood vessels of the kidneys. When it happens, the kidneys filter less fluid, and metabolic waste builds up in the blood. In certain stages the kidneys may fail altogether and medical intervention as dialysis or a kidney transplant may be necessary.

Transient elevations in systolic blood pressure occur as normal adaptations during fever, physical exertion, and emotional upset, such as during anger and fear. Persistent hypertension, or high blood pressure, is common in obese people because the total length of their blood vessels is relatively greater than that in thinner individuals.

Excess weight is a large factor in high blood pressure. Though many people who are not obese suffer from the condition, it’s three times more likely that those who are overweight will develop the condition. Obesity starts at 20% above the ideal weight for your height and bone structure.

If someone is a diabetic, increased urination could be a sign of the blood sugar being high. So having high blood pressure and diabetes can be tricky. If you are a diabetic and experiencing increased urination and a headache, the first thing you want to do is test your blood sugar with your blood sugar machine to rule out hyperglycemia (or high blood sugar).

The first thing is alcohol. People who drink alcohol in excess (over 2 drinks per day) have a one and a half to two times higher change of developing high blood pressure. When the alcohol consumption exceeds five drinks per day this number goes up significantly. Also, the correlation between alcohol and high blood pressure is dose related, meaning the more alcohol that is consumed the higher the blood pressure and the more likely the person is to have high blood pressure.

Garlic is an antispasmodic agent. Hence it reduces the pressure in the arteries caused due to the pumping action of the heart during blood circulation. Garlic creates a rhythm in the pumping of the heart, which eases the pulse. Other high blood pressure problems such as dizziness, shortness of breath and indigestion are also taken care of by garlic. Garlic is widely considered to be the best remedy for high blood pressure.