As we age into our 60s, heart disease begins to take its toll.
By this time, plaques on the walls of our arteries have had decades to build up. They can make it harder for blood to flow freely through the body, reduce the flow of fresh oxygen to cells in our brain or heart, and lead to deadly clots.
It can be difficult to see outward signs of pressure building up in a person's blood vessels until it's too late. At that point, people can experience a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.
That's why many people call hypertension the silent killer. In 2013, the problem contributed to more than 1,000 deaths in the US every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you're worried about your own blood pressure, there are a few simple things you can do right now to help lower it: reducing stress, getting enough physical activity, slimming down, and slashing extra salt from your diet can help.
The second leading cause of death after age 65 is cancer.