What can people do to treat or prevent it?

“There’s lots of things you can do, and it’s usually lifestyle-related,” says Ward, adding, however, that people “can’t prevent it totally because everybody over the age of 65 could potentially get high blood pressure because it is an ageing disease”.

Lifestyle changes such as not smoking, reducing alcohol intake, not adding extra salt to food, and eating a healthy diet with fresh food can help.

Studies have also shown that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fresh vegetables, healthy fats, and fish can reduce the risk of hypertension. People should also exercise and maintain a healthy weight, experts say.

“Stress management in our daily busy life is really important,” added Ladeiras Lopes, as well as regular monitoring.