A Healthy Lifestyle is better than any medication in controlling Hypertension

If a doctor finds out that we have hypertension, the first thing that they would do is to prescribe medication to control our condition. Following this is advice on losing weight, and having a healthy lifestyle. However, the recently published results of the long-term term research in Finland suggest that lifestyle changes should be done in order to control blood pressure.

The Finnish study followed the lives of 9,637 men and 11,430 women aged between 25 and 74 who did not have hypertension. Their lifestyle factors were recorded and followed up for over a period of 16 years.

Below are the common factors of all the participants:

• consumed less than six units of alcohol weekly;
• exercised at least three times per week;
• eat a variety of vegetables that include green vegetables, each day; and
• had a normal weight.

Among the study group, only 709 men and 890 women developed Hypertension. Researchers notice that the risk of developing hypertension among those who complied with all four of the above healthy lifestyle factors is one third of the risk for those who have none of the factors.
After the study, the results of the study were sent to the European Cardiology Congress in August 2012 by Professor Jousilahti of Finland’s National Institute for Health and Welfare.
Developed countries like the United Kingdom have around 90% chance to develop hypertension. Six million Britons were given a prescription of medication in order to control their condition. The medications were able to prevent 350 strokes or heart attacks daily in the United Kingdom that are caused by hypertension.
Healthy lifestyle lessens the risk of acquiring hypertension better than drugs.
In a study conducted for drug treatment for mild hypertension, carried out by the charity Blood Pressure Association UK, researchers found:

• no benefit in taking medication to control mild hypertension; and
• a lifestyle change lowers high blood pressure naturally and is more effective than taking medication in such cases.

Healthy lifestyle reduces hypertension
Despite the fact, that the participants in the Finnish study were healthy at the start of the study, the researchers discovered that making lifestyle improvements naturally benefits those who already have hypertension.
The Finnish study and review of studies into drug treatment for mild hypertension, carried out by the charity Blood Pressure Association UK, confirm that having a healthy lifestyle makes it possible to control blood pressure to normal levels.