These things tend to creep up on us.

My wife has just gone through a scare. She was about to go through a stage of a dental implant operation which is the removal of the old tooth and then doing a bone graft to build up a bone base to eventually receive a titanium post which will then get a crown. Anyway, the dental surgeon after measuring her blood pressure several times over half an hour refused to proceed until it is treated. Now, the wife is a "nervous Nellie", so the "white coat syndrome" is a factor, but the hypertension problem is real. So now, her doctor is establishing the level of drug she needs to her blood pressure to a reasonable level.

At home, we are trying hard to use the DASH diet and modify the lifestyle to address the conditions and habits that lead to hypertension.

Hypertension is the silent killer. When it becomes obvious, it may very well be too late.

But, for you, I would suggest getting a good blood pressure monitor, particularly one that remembers prior measurements and could be connected to a computer so you can have a record.

Hypertension is a reflection of how well the arteries are working and affects not only heart muscles with potential heart attacks, the brain with potential strokes, the eyes with damage to tiny blood vessels that feed the eye and also the optic nerve, and of course damage to the kidneys that need to keep the blood clean. It's way more complicated than I said or understand, but you get the idea.

Genetics are a factor for sure, but a lot depends on what you do. Good luck!