My impression was that one root cause was too many salty french fries over the previous 20 years or so.
But you can get an Omron BP monitor and do some experiments on your own body.
1. What is your BP one hour after drinking lots of liquid and eating a bag of salty peanuts or pistachios?
2. What is your BP one hour after running 5 km fast enough to sweat enough to lose more than one pound of water weight and not drinking anything afterwards?
3. What is your BP after restricting salt from your diet?
4. I'm sure you can think of other experiments to try.
I don't have a BP problem. Don't eat Pistachios or peanuts. Almonds yes.
Don't run, gave that up exiting the Army, have zero intention to run, EVER.
Absolutely minimal salt in DW's cooking, don't do commercial foods and will not.
I can drive my BP systole to 180 and beyond when I do a 10 minute continuous high powered Jujutsu combat form, which includes 20 to 30 falls, punches kicks blocks etc.. In that I control speed, effort, timing, duration etc..
I do try to keep the effort level to around 160 systolic, only occasionally overdoing with way past youthful exuberance.
I can't be bothered to check BP while figure skating for an hour or two, as that is done for pure pleasure with moderate effort.
My curiousity was peaked by poster noting that no specific cause is known to cause Hypertension. 6miths gave several good explanations of current theories for which I am thankful.
I prefer to learn from other's screwups, problems, or scientific lit., or experts in the field, rather than abuse my smoothly functioning joints and other parts of 69yo body doing stupid sh*t.