High blood pressure (or hypertension) is a serious problem in the United States. Approximately 25% of the population has high blood pressure.¹ High blood pressure puts you at risk for many conditions including heart disease, stroke and kidney damage.

The top number of a blood pressure reading is your 'systolic' blood pressure. This number measures the pressure on the walls of your blood vessels when the heart is contracting. The bottom number is the 'diastolic' blood pressure. This number measures the pressure on the walls of your blood vessels when your heart is at rest. The guidelines suggest that as blood pressure increases over normal, the risk of death from heart disease and stroke also increases.

Blood pressure goals for most people should be 140/80 or less. Patients with diabetes are at a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Therefore, they have a stricter target of 130/80. Patients with chronic kidney disease also have a goal blood pressure of 130/80.

What Can I Do at Home to Improve My Blood Pressure?

There are many medications now available to treat high blood pressure. You can work with your doctor to determine which medications are right for you. Beside medications, there is a lot you can do at home to improve your blood pressure. Adopting these changes can help you feel better and reduce the amounts of medications you will need to treat your condition.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight puts you at risk for developing high blood pressure. You would be amazed how much loosing even just 10 pounds can impact your blood pressure reading. Losing and maintaining weight is ultimately the result of adopting a new lifestyle; one of eating right and becoming more active.

A healthy diet would be one that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fiber and lean protein. A good diet should also limit saturated and trans fats, salt and sugar. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is an eating plan that is rich in veggies, fruits, nonfat dairy and is very low in salt. Adhering to such a diet can lower blood pressure as much as a single drug in many people. Drinking alcohol only in moderation should also be a part of your diet plan. Alcohol is a calorie-dense drink that can hinder any progress you are making in your weight loss efforts.

As for physical activity, guidelines suggest that we engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days. Examples of these types of activities include walking, running, bicycling and swimming. Chores like raking leaves and gardening could work too. You should always consult with your doctor before beginning and exercise program, especially if you have other health conditions.

Limiting Salt as Part of Your New Diet

Limiting your salt (sodium) intake is an important part of keeping your blood pressure in check. Most Americans should consume no more than 2.4 grams of sodium per day. This is equal to about one teaspoon of table salt per day. There are salt substitutes available, however, these are generally not recommended. Some of these substitutes contain potassium chloride and may be harmful for those taking certain medications. Often, people find using other seasonings instead of salt to flavor their food can help limit the amount of salt they use. Pepper, garlic and onions can help flavor your food while keeping the salt content down.

Drink Alcohol In Moderation

Drinking alcohol in larger amounts can raise blood pressure and cause harm to the liver, brain and heart. Me should limit their alcohol consumption to about 2 drinks per day. Women should limit their alcohol consumption to about 1 drink per day. Many people with certain health conditions or who take certain medications should not drink alcohol at all.

Let's Get Started!

Much of this may seem like common sense but none the less, here it is, in black and white. Of course you could eat anything you want and not exercise at all and expect your medications to do all of the work but this isn't a great way to go. By taking more and more medications you make yourself susceptible to all kinds of drug interactions and adverse drug events (ADEs). What are ADEs? An ADE is defined as any undesired, negative consequence of taking a medication. More than 700,000 people are injured or die every year as a result of the medication they are taking because of ADEs. Don't be another statistic. Be empowered!