High blood pressure increases your chance of having a stroke. It also increases your chances of developing kidney damage, heart disease, and many other serious health problems. If you have high blood pressure, your healthcare professional will recommend that you lower the amount of salt in your diet, take more exercise, stop smoking if you smoke, lose weight if you are overweight, and if these measures do not work well enough, might also suggest that you take certain medications to lower your blood pressure to a safe level.