Jane Kim

3 weeks ago | health.com | Angela Lee |Jane Kim

Anxiety may cause short-term spikes in blood pressure. Maskot / Getty Images Hypertension (high blood pressure) and anxiety can often exist together. Among the nearly half of adults in the United States who have high blood pressure, about 40% also have anxiety—a rate that's higher than in the general population. In the short term, anxiety can temporarily increase blood pressure by activating your body's fight-or-flight response.