Treatment Guidelines for Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, occurs when the force of blood pumping through the arteries is higher than normal. It is the potential precursor for serious health difficulties including heart attack and stroke. These conditions are major killers of adults in the U.S. Fortunately, an extensive number of options exist to effectively treat hypertension.

Treatment Through Diet and Lifestyle Modification

• If you are only mildly hypertensive, your treatment may center around non-drug lifestyle modifications to bring your blood pressure under control. Controlling your diet is an important part of this approach. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was created specifically for this purpose and focuses on the regular intake of whole grain, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. It also emphasizes substantially lowering your intake of saturated fats, as well as decreasing your overall fat intake.

  Restrict the amount of salt you eat by consciously limiting the salt you put on your food. Also do what you can to avoid processed foods or soups that may contain excessively high sodium levels. Although these changes may be difficult at first, you can actually retrain your taste buds to accept less salty foods. In addition to decreasing salt, increase your intake of potassium, which can help stabilize or decrease blood pressure.

  Exercise regularly and lose weight if you carry extra pounds. Engaging in physical activity for as little as 30 minutes a day may provide useful benefits. If you smoke, strongly consider quitting; tobacco has both short- and long-term adverse effects on your blood pressure. Alcohol use can also aggravate hypertension. If you drink, do so only occasionally and in moderate amounts. Consider beginning a stress management program if you regularly experience high levels of stress. This may be especially effective in conjunction with the conscious practice of deep breathing and relaxation.

Primary Drug Treatments

• If your doctor determines that you also need drug treatment to combat your hypertension, there are many options available. Potentially effective choices include beta blockers, which lessen blood pressure by dilating your blood vessels; thiazide diuretics, which help your kidneys eliminate sodium; angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which block chemicals that would normally narrow your blood vessels; and calcium channel blockers, which relax the muscles associated with your blood vessels.

Additional Drug Treatments

• If these frontline medications are ineffective, you may also benefit from vasodilators, which prevent the muscles in your artery walls from contracting; alpha blockers, which reduce nerve impulses that usually initiate blood vessel narrowing; alpha-beta blockers, which reduce nerve impulses and slow your heartbeat; and central acting agents which stop your brain from sending signals that constrict your blood vessels and increase your heartbeat.

Resistant Hypertension

• Some cases of hypertension do not respond well to normal drug treatment. If you have unsuccessfully tried several compounds, your doctor may diagnose you with resistant hypertension. He will then attempt to uncover any underlying conditions that are hindering treatment, and may also experiment with and fine-tune your medication regimen. Medications for hypertension typically carry significant risk. Consult your doctor for a full explanation of any drugs used in your hypertension treatment.