Getting six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep a night can prevent high blood pressure and widely fluctuating blood pressure, which we now know is as dangerous as high blood pressure,” he says. “We are just beginning to understand how important sleep is. “We know that smoking harms the lining of the blood vessels, as does high blood pressure, so it stands to reason that you should not smoke,” he says. Laffin adds two recommendations that he feels are important, but that have less evidence of direct impact on blood pressure. They have the potential to lower blood pressure 4 to 5 mmHg. How much these are likely to lower blood pressure depends on how often they are done, how many repetitions are performed and, with dynamic resistance exercises, what weights are used. Other options include dynamic resistance exercises, such as bicep curls with weights, and isometric resistance exercises, such as pushing against a wall. IMPACT: Doing 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week can lower blood pressure 5 to 8 mmHg. It also increases blood flow and encourages the creation of new blood vessels, among other benefits. Aerobic exercise forces blood vessels to expand and contract, keeping them flexible. Physical activity, specifically aerobic activity, is highly effective in reducing blood pressure. IMPACT: If you have hypertension and regularly drink more alcohol than recommended, reducing your intake may drop your blood pressure as much as 4 mmHg. Women should have no more than one a day. Men should limit alcoholic beverages to two drinks a day. IMPACT: Every loss of 2.2 pounds should result in a drop of 1 mmHg in blood pressure. Losing any amount of weight is a good thing. Lose weightĮxcess weight increases the likelihood of developing high blood pressure. IMPACT: The DASH diet can drop systolic pressure up to 11 mmHg. Research on this diet is so positive that it is now considered one of the most important non-pharmaceutical measures for controlling hypertension. People who adopt the DASH diet usually meet low-sodium and high potassium guidelines, and may lose weight, as well. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was created specifically to lower blood pressure. IMPACT: If you have hypertension, increasing potassium intake to recommended levels should drop your blood pressure 4 to 5 mmHg. If you have significant kidney disease, you should be careful not to consume too much potassium, because your kidneys may not be able to eliminate it, says Dr. A daily intake of 3,000 to 3,500 mg of potassium through foods such as bananas, tomatoes and other vegetables is recommended. Consume more potassiumĪ diet high in fast foods, processed foods, carbohydrates, potatoes and meat is likely to be low in potassium, contributing to high blood pressure. IMPACT: If you have hypertension, limiting sodium to 1,500 mg a day should drop your blood pressure by 5 or 6 mmHg. “It takes about 10 to 14 days to adjust to a low-sodium diet then some foods will begin to taste salty,” says Dr. “At minimum, we recommend lowering sodium intake by at least 1,000 mg per day.”īecause sodium is hidden in so many foods, avoiding sodium is difficult, unless you cook everything from scratch at home, never eat out and avoid processed foods of any kind, including bread. “The difference in effect is only a drop of 2 to 3 mmHg,” says Dr. Because this amount is so strict, Cleveland Clinic sets the limit at 2,300 mg. The average American consumes 3,500 mg of sodium a day - far more than the American Heart Association recommendation of no more than 1,500 mg, or about one teaspoon, of salt. Studies have shown that a low-sodium diet has the same effect as one and a half to two blood pressure medications,” says Dr. “Cutting your salt intake is probably the most important way to lower your blood pressure. Six methods have been proven effective in clinical studies, and two others are recommended: 1. Broadly speaking, these modifications are natural - non-pharmaceutical - ways of lowering blood pressure. The term “lifestyle changes” implies you will need to change your habits to bring your blood pressure down.

If you don’t make lifestyle changes, don’t bother taking blood pressure medications, because they won’t work effectively,” says preventive cardiologist Luke Laffin, MD.

“ Blood pressure management is 70% lifestyle and 30% medications. While some people can lower blood pressure with lifestyle changes alone, the two approaches are complementary. There are two ways to accomplishing this: lifestyle changes and medications. Lowering systolic blood pressure to a maximum of 120 mmHg has been shown to reduce these risks. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.

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