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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffA healthy lifestyle is essential for keeping blood pressure low and maintaining long-term heart health. Here are some healthy lifestyle suggestions:
- Follow a healthy diet. Limit the sodium in your diet by focusing on fresh foods and reduced-sodium products, avoiding condiments, and removing salt from recipes. Diets that also emphasize a healthy variety of foods — including grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products — can promote weight loss and help to lower blood pressure. Try the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet — it has proven benefits for your heart.
- Achieve a healthy weight. If your body mass index (BMI) is 25 or more, losing as few as 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) may reduce your blood pressure.
- Exercise. Regular aerobic exercise can help lower blood pressure. You don't have to hit the gym — taking vigorous walks most days of the week can significantly improve your health. Try walking with a friend at lunch instead of dining out.
- Don't smoke. Quitting smoking will improve your overall cardiovascular health. Nicotine in tobacco makes your heart work harder by temporarily constricting your blood vessels and increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about medications that can help you stop smoking.
- Limit alcohol and caffeine. Both substances can raise your blood pressure, and alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness of some blood pressure medications. Ask your doctor whether moderate alcohol consumption is safe for you.
References
- Funder JW, et al. Case detection, diagnosis and treatment of patients with primary aldosteronism: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2008;93:3266.
- Young WF, et al. Clinical features of primary aldosteronism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- Primary aldosteronism. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch153/ch153f.html. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- Sechi LA, et al. Cardiovascular and renal damage in primary aldosteronism: Outcomes after treatment. American Journal of Hypertension. In press. Acessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- Giacchetti G, et al. Management of primary aldosteronism: Its complications and outcomes after treatment. Current Vascular Pharmacology. 2009;7:244.
- Young WF, et al. Treatment of primary aldosteronism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- Aldosterone and renin. Lab Tests Online. http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/aldosterone/test.html. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- High blood pressure. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbp/HBP_All.html. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- High blood pressure, factors that contribute to. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4650. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- Young WF, et al. Approach to the patient with hypertension and hypokalemia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- Rose BD. Clinical manifestations and treatment of hypokalemia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- The seventh report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Bethesda, Md.: National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/jnc7full.htm. Accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
- Nippoldt TB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 27, 2010.
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