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Electronic blood pressure monitor and bowl of fruits, vegetables and dumbbells representing healthy lifestyle choices

Hypertension: Effective ways to lower high blood pressure without medication

Oct 13, 2021 - McMaster University - 8.5 minutes

Can lifestyle changes help to reduce high blood pressure? The answer is yes. In part one of this series on high blood pressure, our experts discussed what healthy blood pressure targets are as we age and how to monitor your blood pressure at home.

In this video, Drs. Anthony Levinson and Richard Sztramko discuss what lifestyle changes you can make to help reduce high blood pressure or lower your risk of developing hypertension in the future. Catch up with Russel, who tracked their blood pressure at home for two weeks and found it to be consistently 140/90. Find out what changes their primary care provider recommends for them.

Learn the answers to the following questions:

What are some of the complications of uncontrolled high blood pressure?
What lifestyle choices can you make to keep your blood pressure healthy?
Is there a recommended diet for maintaining healthy blood pressure?
What type of exercise is recommended to reduce high blood pressure?

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Author Details

Anthony Levinson

Dr. Anthony J. Levinson is a Professor at McMaster University and holds the John R. Evans Chair in Health Sciences Educational Research and Instructional Development. One of the co-leaders of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal, Dr. Levinson is also a psychiatrist with a special interest in medical psychiatry and neuropsychiatry. His area of research interest includes online learning to improve healthcare provider and patient education.

Author Details

Richard Sztramko

Dr. Richard Sztramko practices both Geriatrics and General Internal Medicine at Vancouver Coastal Health in the Sea to Sky region of British Columbia. He was formerly an Assistant Professor at McMaster University and UBC with a focus on eHealth interventions related to patient education, physician and healthcare provider communication.

References

McMaster Optimal Aging Portal. High blood pressure? Strategies you can take to improve your heart health. (2019 Apr). Accessed August 11, 2021. Available from : https://www.mcmasteroptimalaging.org/blog/detail/hitting-the-headlines/2019/04/30/high-blood-pressure-strategies-you-can-take-to-improve-your-heart-health.
McMaster Optimal Aging Portal. Does salt really affect blood pressure? (2016 Jun). Accessed August 11, 2021. https://www.mcmasteroptimalaging.org/blog/detail/blog/2016/06/06/does-salt-really-affect-blood-pressure?sid=4684b0f4-4188-4ef1-8ce4-379b94edb1b4&hl=hypertension
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. DASH Eating Plan. (n.d.). Accessed August 11, 2021. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan
World Health Organization. (2021 May). Hypertension. Accessed August 11, 2021. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension
Hypertension Canada. (n.d.). Limiting Salt Intake. Accessed August 11, 2021. Available from: https://hypertension.ca/hypertension-and-you/managing-hypertension/what-can-i-do/#limiting-salt-intake
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. (n.d.). Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines. Accessed August 11, 2021.
Feehally J, Floege J, Tonelli M, Johnson RJ. (2019). Comprehensive clinical nephrology: Sixth edition. Elsevier Inc.
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. (n.d.). Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines: An integration of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep. Accessed August 11, 2021. Available from: https://csepguidelines.ca/
Padwal RS, Bienek A, McAlister FA, Campbell NRC. Epidemiology of Hypertension in Canada: An Update. Can J Cardiol. 2016;32(5):687-694. doi:10.1016/j.cjca.2015.07.734
Kazeminia M, Daneshkhah A, Jalali R, Vaisi-Raygani A, Salari N, Mohammadi M. The Effect of Exercise on the Older Adult’s Blood Pressure Suffering Hypertension: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Clinical Trial Studies. Katsuya T, ed. Int J Hypertens. 2020;2020:2786120. doi:10.1155/2020/2786120
Akita S, Sacks FM, Svetkey LP, Conlin PR, Kimura G. Effects of the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on the pressure-natriuresis relationship. Hypertension. 2003;42(1):8-13. doi:10.1161/01.HYP.0000074668.08704.6E

Acknowledgements

This work is supported through the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and funds provided by the Dean and Vice-President, Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.

DISCLAIMER: These summaries are provided for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for advice from your own health care professional. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (info@mcmasteroptimalaging.org).

Many of our Blog Posts were written before the COVID-19 pandemic and thus do not necessarily reflect the latest public health recommendations. While the content of new and old blogs identify activities that support optimal aging, it is important to defer to the most current public health recommendations. Some of the activities suggested within these blogs may need to be modified or avoided altogether to comply with changing public health recommendations. To view the latest updates from the Public Health Agency of Canada, please visit their website.

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