Systolic blood pressure below 120 has long been considered the norm, and related to lower risk of heart disease and kidney problems. However, most doctors only treat patients whose blood pressure is 140 or above.
Recent findings from a large National Institutes of Health study found lower rates of heart attack, stroke and death among people with high blood pressure who brought that top number down to 120, suggesting it’s worth treating patients in that prehypertension gray area of 120 to 140.
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So how can patients take their blood pressure down to 120? Though many people will probably need to start a blood pressure medication or add another to their current regimen, there are also a number of lifestyle interventions to try before taking a new drug:
- Lose weight
Research suggests that losing about 9 pounds could reduce systolic blood pressure by 4.5 points, and one study found that maintaining weight loss of about 7 pounds for a year could even bring it down by 11 points.
- Exercise
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommend 2½ hours a week of medium intensity physical activity, such as jogging, swimming and dancing. One study found that 10 weeks of moderate exercise, such as walking and cycling, for an hour three times a week reduced systolic blood pressure in sedentary older adults by 5 points.
- Scale back the salt
In one study, scaling back daily salt levels from 8 grams to 4 grams was associated with a drop of 6.7 points in systolic blood pressure.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, was developed by the National Institutes of Health and has been voted one of the best overall diets. The DASH diet is high in fruits, vegetables and fiber, and low in sodium. It may further reduce systolic blood pressure by about 3 points compared with a regular low-sodium diet, according to a trial of DASH. However, a drawback of the DASH diet is that it’s high in carbohydrates. This can stimulate the appetite and make it harder for people to lose weight. If you are trying to lose weight and lower blood pressure, diets such as Zone and South Beach, which balance carbs with protein and fat, may be easier to stick with for six months or so.
- Snack on chocolate
Research suggests that people who ate more dark chocolate over a period of two to eight weeks had lower systolic blood pressure by about 2 points. Antioxidants in cocoa, called flavanols, may help dilate arteries.
- Don’t binge drink
Studies suggest that alcohol reduction interventions can reduce systolic blood pressure by about 4 points among people who consume between 30 and 60 drinks a week. The American Heart Association recommends that women stick to an average of one alcoholic drink a day and men to two.
- Meditate
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An analysis of studies of transcendental meditation using a short mantra found it could reduce systolic blood pressure by nearly 5 points more than those who did not meditate or used other relaxation techniques.
