How to Bring Down Systolic Blood Pressure Numbers

Systolic blood pressure is the blood pressure in the arteries when the heart is contracting. The systolic pressure is normally below 120 millimeters of mercury (mmHg.) A systolic pressure between 120 and 139 mmHg is known as pre-hypertension and a systolic pressure of 140 or greater is considered to be hypertension.

Things You'll Need

• Bananas
• Oranges
• Spinach

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Instructions

• 1

  Limit your consumption of alcohol to one or two drinks per day. A daily consumption of more than two drinks per day may double your risk of hypertension. Your risk of hypertension continues to increase as your daily alcohol consumption increases.

• 2

  Drink less coffee if you're elderly. Your blood pressure can be increased by regular coffee drinking if you're elderly and already hypertensive. The combination of coffee drinking and smoking can increase your blood pressure more than coffee alone.

• 3

  Control your salt intake. You shouldn't eat more than 6 g of salt per day even if you don't have high blood pressure. People who are hypertensive should limit their salt consumption to 4 g per day. Avoid adding salt to your food and estimate your salt consumption with the sodium content provided on food labels.

• 4

  Increase your potassium intake if your doctor recommends it. A greater consumption of potassium will lower your blood pressure but will also increase your potassium level. A high potassium level is especially hazardous if you have certain other medical problems such as renal insufficiency. Foods that are high in potassium include most fruits and vegetables, especially bananas, oranges and spinach.

• 5

  Take medication as recommended by a doctor. Chronic systolic hypertension may require medical treatment, especially if you have additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are often the drug of choice for the treatment of hypertension. Other classes of medication that can treat hypertension include angiotensin II receptor antagonists, calcium channel blockers and diuretics.