For the 50 million Americans with high blood pressure, exercise can help, but exercise and losing some weight can help even more.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., say the findings confirm the effectiveness of using non-pharmacological approaches to treating high blood pressure. The study looked at 133 overweight men and women, average age 47, who had untreated hypertension. Part of the group exercised but didn’t diet. The remainder did both.
Those who just exercised did lower the diastolic and systolic blood pressure readings by 4 points each and dropped an average of 4 pounds during the six-month period. Study participants who exercised and dieted lowered their diastolic pressure by an average of 7 points, systolic by an average of 5 points, and lost an average of 17 pounds.
Lifestyle changes are often recommended first to patients who need to lower their blood pressure before a doctor prescribes medications.
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