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How Can High Blood Pressure Be Prevented?
If You Have Normal Blood Pressure
If you don't have high blood pressure (HBP), you can take steps to prevent it. Healthy lifestyle habits can help you maintain normal blood pressure.
- Follow a healthy diet. Limit the amount of sodium (salt) and alcohol that you consume. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan promotes healthy eating.
- Be physically active. Routine physical activity can lower HBP and reduce your risk for other health problems.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Staying at a healthy weight can help you control HBP and reduce your risk for other health problems.
- Quit smoking. Smoking can damage your blood vessels and raise your risk for HBP. Smoking also can worsen health problems related to HBP.
- Learn to manage and cope with stress. Learning how to manage stress, relax, and cope with problems can improve your emotional and physical health.
Many people who adopt these healthy lifestyle habits are able to prevent or delay HBP. The more lifestyle changes you make, the more likely you are to lower your blood pressure and avoid related health problems.
For more information about healthy lifestyle habits, go to "How Is High Blood Pressure Treated?"
If You Have High Blood Pressure
If you have HBP, you can still take steps to prevent the long-term problems it can cause. Healthy lifestyle habits (listed above) and medicines can help you live a longer, more active life.
Follow the treatment plan your doctor prescribes to control your blood pressure. Treatment can help you prevent or delay coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other health problems.
Children and Teens
A healthy lifestyle also can help prevent HBP in children and teens. Key steps include having a child:
- Follow a healthy diet that focuses on plenty of fruits, vegetables, and, for children older than 4 years old, low-fat dairy products. A healthy diet also is low in saturated and trans fats and salt.
- Be active for at least 1 to 2 hours per day. Limit screen time in front of the TV or computer to 2 hours per day at most.
- Maintain a healthy weight. If your child is overweight, ask his or her doctor about how your child can safely lose weight.
Make these healthy habits part of a family health plan to help your child adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project
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Managing High Blood Pressure With Lifestyle Changes Clinical trials are research studies that explore whether a medical strategy, treatment, or device is safe and effective for humans. To find clinical trials that are currently underway for High Blood Pressure, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.
October 10, 2012
NIH grantees win 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to National Institutes of Health grantees Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D., of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.; and Brian K. Kobilka, M.D., of the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif., for studies of protein receptors that let body cells sense and respond to outside signals.
The NHLBI updates Health Topics articles on a biennial cycle based on a thorough review of research findings and new literature. The articles also are updated as needed if important new research is published. The date on each Health Topics article reflects when the content was originally posted or last revised.
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