New Information about High Blood Pressure from the National Institutes of Health

A Recent Study

NIH conducted a study that evaluated high blood pressure in over 200 individuals with stage 1 blood pressure: between 120/80 and 159/95. After a year and a half, 60% of the participants who received diet and exercise advice experienced normal blood pressure provided that they lost no less than five pounds and decreased their salt intake. The study participants who didn’t receive specific advice concerning diet and exercise did not experience a lower blood pressure.

Weight Loss

Doctors have long been stressing the importance of the need to lose weight among patients who suffer from high blood pressure. This recent NIH study reinforces that wisdom. Paying more attention to diet and exercise can reduce the need to take high blood pressure medication. Many Americans consume way too much sodium. Major sources of sodium come from fast food or packaged foods that we eat because they’re convenient.

Obviously, there are certain cases when blood pressure is severely elevated and blood pressure medication is needed, at least temporarily, to return blood pressure to a healthy level. Overall, though, patients still need to attempt to improve their high blood pressure to the best of their ability through dieting efforts and diet changes.

Changing Your Lifestyle

Patients who have had high blood pressure for a prolonged period of time might not benefit to the same extent if they change their diet and exercise habits as individuals who have been recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. Because high blood pressure has such serious health effects, it is vitally important that you and your physician take steps to get your high blood pressure under control even if that means temporary or long-term medication.