Lower Your BP— Without an Rx

Looking to get your high blood pressure under control? There’s an app for that. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina came up with an approach to reducing hypertension using a breathing-awareness meditation (BAM) app. A group of people with prehypertension used it for 15 minutes twice a day. After six months of slow, deep breathing sessions, they showed a decrease in heart rate and systolic blood pressure—both markers for high blood pressure. Avoiding pills is appealing, but as with anything, results require sticking with the program. Your best bet: Download the Tension Tamer app and practice BAM first thing in the morning and again before lights-out. If you’re time-strapped, even a five- or 10-minute session delivers results.