Most risk factors for essential hypertension are related to poor health habits. About half of all people with mild hypertension can control their condition by adopting healthy habits, which are also preventative.
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Lose weight
The most effective non-drug method of lowering blood pressure. Losing as little as 4,5 kg can lead to a meaningful drop in blood pressure. Weight loss can also enhance the blood pressure lowering effect of anti-hypertensive drugs.
Exercise
Even 30 to 45 minutes of mild to moderate aerobic exercise such as brisk walking or cycling four times a week can nudge your blood pressure down a few points, particularly if you're also losing weight. Vigorous exercise, such as riding a stationary bike for 40 minutes, can lower blood pressure by more than 10 mm Hg. Even people with normal blood pressure who do not exercise and are "out of shape" have a 20 to 50% higher risk of developing hypertension than more active people have.
Limit your alcohol intake
Alcohol raises your blood pressure even if you don't have hypertension and reduces your heart's pumping ability. Heavy drinking not only increases blood pressure, but can also interfere with the effectiveness of blood pressure medications. If you are female, limit your alcohol intake to less than one drink per day; if you are male, limit your intake to two drinks per day. One drink equals 360 ml of beer, 150 ml of wine or 30 ml of distilled liquor.
Eat a low-fat, high-fruit and -vegetable diet
A recent study found people with hypertension lowered their blood pressure by 11.5 mm Hg systolic and 5.5 mm Hg diastolic through diet alone. 40% of these people were able to stop their medication completely. The diet may have worked because it promoted weight loss and was high in the minerals calcium, potassium and magnesium, which are associated with lower blood pressure.
Limit your salt intake
Not everyone needs to restrict salt intake. However, black people and women older than 65 seem to benefit when they lower their daily sodium intake to no more than 2,4 g per day – about 1 teaspoon of salt. Individual response of blood pressure to salt intake differs widely and is difficult to measure. Most of the salt you eat daily is already added during the preparation of food. Read food labels carefully for sodium amounts.
Don't smoke
Cigarette smoking doesn't cause hypertension, but is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. If you're a smoker, especially one with hypertension, you must stop. And if you're not a smoker, don't start.
For many people, losing weight, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol and sodium and maintaining adequate potassium (3.5 g per day) are enough to lower blood pressure and keep it down.
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