According to a report from the American Heart Association, high blood pressure contributes to nearly 1,000 deaths per day. For this reason, it’s important to have your blood pressure checked regularly — and get treatment if you have high blood pressure.(1) The exact causes of high blood pressure are not known. However, some things may play a role in its development, including: Smoking. Being overweight. Lack of physical activity. Too much salt in the diet. Drinking too much alcohol (more than 1 to 2 drinks per day) Older age.