High blood pressure is commonly known as hypertension, or blood pressure more than 140/90 mmHg in the adult population.
The causes are diverse and include stress, hypertension during pregnancy, alcohol use, and diet-related behaviors. Many physicians recommend lifestyle changes and medication (rather than drugs) in treating high blood pressure. However, these are not always successful in helping to lower it, and lifestyle changes or lifestyle treatment can prevent the development of hypertension.
A new study reports that there is no difference in blood pressure control using lifestyle interventions or lifestyle treatment — without taking drugs.
The US-based National Institutes of Health-funded study, conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, assessed how well 84 white, US-patients with high blood pressure compared to 18 men and 68 women at high blood pressure baseline (≥120/90mmHg) adjusted for other factors, but with no treatment.
The scientists said A three-year follow-up of blood pressure at 12 months and 24 months revealed that 40.8% of participants took a balanced diet in addition to physical activity and smoking cessation, compared to 42.1% with traditional drug use.
On a controlled drug test at 12 months and 24 months, 37.6% and 40.2% of participants were taking therapy as a sedentary drug, respectively, compared to 33.3% and 40.8% with lifestyle-treated participants, respectively.
No placebo drugs were administered or invasive medical devices such as fingertip pulse oximeters observed in the study — participation was placebo-controlled.
The second phase of the study reported no significant differences, either, “in terms of blood pressure control, an increase of salt intake, or a greater need for sedentary or sedentary medical treatment than those who would be on medication.”
High blood pressure has been linked to thousands of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure in the elderly raises the risk of heart disease and stroke.
About half of all people have high blood pressure at age 60, and about a third in the US over 60 have kidney disease (25% percent of those over 65).
The authors of the study recommend the use of lifestyle management and the use of medications, rather than drugs, to be considered for lower blood pressure control in the general population.
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