Doctors have known for a long time that systolic blood pressure (SBP) under 120 is normal, and reduces the risk of kidney conditions, stroke, heart disease, and death. Thus, they would only treat patients if the figure rose over 140. However, a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) study's findings have shown that patients in the pre-hypertension range of 120 to 140 should also be treated.
The study has not been published yet. However, trials seem to indicate that people with a top number in the 130s should still take steps to lower their blood pressure to 120. Here are some of them:
Lose Weight
Dr. Karen Margolis is the clinical research director of HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research. She explained that shedding pounds can provide the same blood pressure reduction as taking a medication. One study showed that a year-long weight loss of 7 pounds (8.1 kilograms) can lower blood pressure by 11 points.
Reduce Salt/Alcohol
The American Heart Association recommends daily consuming 3 or 4 grams of salt to lower blood pressure. One study showed that decreasing one's intake from 8 to 4 grams caused a 6.7-point SBP drop, according to KSL.
Studies also suggest that binge drinkers can lower their blood pressure by around 4 points by cutting back on alcoholic drinks. That is for heavy drinkers who have 30 to 60 drinks weekly.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise is one of the most effective methods for lowering SBP besides losing weight. Another plus is that it lacks blood pressure drugs' side effects.
People should get at least half an hour of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days, according to Daily Herald. Some good exercises include walking jogging, bicycling, and swimming. They can reduce SBP in older sedentary adults by 5 points.
Take More Meds
Some hypertension sufferers live a healthy lifestyle but still find it hard as nails to get their blood pressure down to the normal range. They could add a new medication such as beta blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors, or calcium channel blockers.
Those powerful medications can cause minor side-effects such as headaches and dehydration. However, each type of drug typically reduces SBP blood pressure by 10 points, and nearly all the medications are cheap.
This video explains systolic blood pressure: