The study did not directly examine reasons behind the spike, but Laffin said there are many factors that may have contributed to blood pressure rises last year. For people with diagnosed high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, they may have skipped usual visits to the doctor or may not have been regularly refilling prescriptions. For other people, lifestyle factors, including poor sleep, poor diet choices, increased alcohol consumption and lack of regular exercise, may have contributed to blood pressure increases.
