Six Natural Ways To Lower Your Blood Pressure

Taking medication to lower high blood pressure is a proven way to reduce your risk for heart disease.

But adopting lifestyle changes may let you maintain healthy readings and perhaps even avoid drug therapy.

"Unless a person's blood pressure is very high, medication most often does not start immediately," says Dr.Howard LeWine, editor in chief of Harvard Men's Health Watch. "For people with elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension, the first order of business is to get serious about modifying their lifestyle."

By the Numbers Normal blood pressure is defined as a reading of less than 120/80 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg). Elevated pressure means systolic blood pressure (the first number in a reading) is 120 to 129 mm Hg with a diastolic pressure (the second number) of less than 80 mm Hg. People who have consistent readings of 130 to 139 for systolic pressure or 80 to 89 for diastolic pressure are said to have high blood

pressure (stage 1 hypertension). "But your target numbers may differ based on your health and individual goals, as determined in consultation with your doctor," says Dr. LeWine. Healthy lifestyle habits are the cornerstone of managing blood pressure, whether or not you require medication. A lifestyle approach to management also helps people feel more in control of their health.

"Understandable, sometimes people are reluctant to start a drug because they don't want to be dependent on medication," says Dr. LeWine. "And this resistance can provide extra motivation for making the necessary changes." Still, don't be discouraged if your doctor wants you to begin taking a low dose of medication. Once you reach your blood pressure goals, maintaining a healthy lifestyle may mean you can take a drug holiday (with your doctor's approval).