There are certain chronic conditions which can increase the risk of high blood pressure, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and kidney disease.

Consuming large amounts of cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. Cholesterol builds up inside the arteries, in deposits commonly called plaque. As the arteries get narrower, the heart has to exert a lot of pressure to keep pumping blood to the rest of the body. This increases the blood pressure in the arteries.

Diabetes and high blood pressure tend to occur together because the effects caused by each condition tend to make the other condition more likely to occur. Diabetes increases the total amount of fluid in the body, which tends to raise blood pressure. It speeds up arterial hardening and changes the way the body produces and reacts to insulin, both of which causes the blood pressure to rise.

Kidney diseases can also raise the blood pressure. As the blood-filtering functions of the kidney are mainly driven by the force of the blood pressure, the kidneys can detect changes in blood pressure. If the kidneys sense that blood pressure is dropping too low, they release hormones that raise it. If the kidneys are not working properly, they may release these hormones irregularly, causing high blood pressure.