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Non-pharmacologic measures for lowering blood pressure

  • Hypertension
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Summary

Nondrug measures have proven effective, to some extent, in lowering blood pressure, especially in mild hypertensives, in many well-controlled studies. The proven measures are reduction of a) salt (<5g/day), b) alcohol (<30ml/day) intake, and c) obesity, and d) regular physical exercise (30–60 minutes/day) and e) mental relaxation. The reported effectiveness of each of these measures ranges from one third to two thirds in mild hypertensives. Should all these nondrug measures, together with cessation of smoking, be applied in all mild hypertensives, it might help prevent their progression to moderate or even severe hypertension with complications, such as coronary heart disease in particular, thereby solving most of the problems that antihypertensive drugs have left behind.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, 814-01, Fukuoka, Japan

    Kikuo Arakawa

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  1. Kikuo Arakawa
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Arakawa, K. Non-pharmacologic measures for lowering blood pressure. Cardiovasc Drug Ther 3, 847–852 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01869570

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