High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Living With High Blood Pressure

Home treatment is important to help control high blood pressure, especially if you have other risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Even if your doctor has prescribed medicine for you, there are still many steps you can take to lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Changes in lifestyle or behavior can help control high blood pressure and in some cases may allow you to reduce the amount of medicine you need.

• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Get regular exercise.
• Avoid using too much sodium.
• Get enough potassium, calcium, and magnesium in your diet.
• Limit alcohol use.
• Stop smoking.
• Use anti-inflammatory medicines wisely.
• Learn to check your blood pressure at home. For more information, see:

  Monitoring your blood pressure at home.

• Reduce stress.
• Follow the nutrition guidelines for hypertension (including the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet). For more information, see:

  Tips for following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.

More information Who can help me make lifestyle changes?

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Author:	Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: April 24, 2007
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition
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