Activity as Good as Meds for High BP

By Editorial Staff

High blood pressure can go unrecognized for years, with few or no symptoms until the ultimate consequence – a heart attack or stroke – strikes. As you might imagine, that's generally far too late in the game. Even people who are diagnosed with high BP often receive a prescription for blood pressure medication, which can help, but also elevates the risk of health problems attributable to the medication itself.

What if there were a safer, equally effective option for reducing high blood pressure? Actually, there is – exercise. A massive review study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine determined, after evaluating findings from almost 400 research trials on how blood pressure drugs or exercise affected blood pressure, that each lowered blood pressure in hypertensive patients by nearly 9 mmHg. (Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, with 120/80 mmHg considered normal.)

exercise - Copyright – Stock Photo / Register Mark Your doctor can tell you more about high blood pressure and suggest simple exercises that can keep your BP in the safe range (and improve your overall health in a variety of other ways). If you still think medication is the only option, consider the risks. In fact, just recently, the Food and Drug Administration recalled multiple BP medications which were contaminated with a potential cancer-causing agent during the manufacturing process. Now doesn't a little exercise sound like a much better choice?



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