SANCHITA SHARMA

People with hypertension can lower their need for bloodpressure lowering medicine within 16 weeks if they start eating healthier food and exercising regularly, according to a new study.

People who ate a diet high in vegetables, fruits and lowfat dairy and low in red meat, salt and sugar on average lost 8.6kg of bodyweight and had lowered blood pressure by 16 mmhg systolic and 10 mmhg diastolic in less than four months, said the study presented at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions on Saturday.

By the study’s end, only 15% of people on a healthier diet and exercise plan needed antihypertensive medications, compared to 23% in the group that changed their diet but didn’t exercise. There was no change in the prescription of those who made no dietary and activity changes, with 50% people continuing to need medication.

The effect was strongest among people with blood pressures in the range of 130 to 160 mmhg systolic and between 80 and 99 mmhg diastolic.

Updated international hypertension guidelines define hypertension as blood pressure of 130/80 mmhg or more.

Under the revised criterion, people with blood pressure readings of 130–140/ 80–90 mmhg are hypertensive and must control their hypertension with lifestyle changes or medication, or both.

In India, 10.22% people have hypertension — the most common risk factor for heart disease, data from the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke shows. Of the 35.72 million screened