Antihypertensive Medications

• Antihypertensive medications can cause an increased pulse pressure. These types of medications are used to treat high blood pressure. These types of medications include angiotensin-coverting enzyme inhibitors, which help to reduce blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels. Angiotensin II receptor blocks help to lower blood pressure by helping to widen blood vessels. Beta blockers help to lower blood pressure by decreasing the nerve signals that go to the blood vessels and heart. Calcium channel blockers help to lower blood pressure by stopping calcium from traveling to the muscle cells of the blood vessels and the heart.
  
  

Diabetes Mellitus

• Diabetes mellitus can lead to an increased pulse pressure. This condition is characterized by the body's inability to properly maintain blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are not properly maintained, a host of health issues can result, including an increased pulse pressure.
  
  

Age

• Age can be a cause of increased pulse pressure. Those over age 50 are at a higher risk of developing an increased pulse rate. An increased pulse rate may occur in older people because of age-related wear and tear of the arteries and veins. When age is the cause, patients typically need some type of medication to normalize their pulse pressure.
  
  

Hyperthyroidism

• Hyperthyroidism can cause increased pulse pressure. This condition occurs when the thyroid gland is overactive. It becomes overactive because the hormone thyroxine is being overly produced by the thyroid gland. This condition can lead to a significant increase in metabolism. This increase in metabolism can lead to a host of medical issues such as sweating, sudden weight loss and increased pulse pressure.
  
  

Arteriovenous Malformation

• An arteriovenous malformation can cause an increased pulse rate. Those with this condition have an extra path in which blood has to travel from an artery with high pressure. It will travel to a vein with low pressure that is missing the capillary (smallest blood vessels) bed gradient. This condition is something a person is born with. If occurs most often in the spine or brain, but can occur anywhere in the body.