Lifestyle changes cut need for hypertension medicine

A simple tweak of lifestyle could help lower reliance on hypertension drugs, a study showed and cut the cost burden on households.

A recent study presented at the American Heart Association Conference, which focused on current advances in hypertension research, found that men and women with high blood pressure reduced the need for anti-hypertension medication within 16 weeks after making lifestyle changes.

The study is among the growing body of research linking lifestyle changes to the reduction and proper management of non-communicable diseases.

“Lifestyle modifications, including healthier eating and regular exercise, can greatly decrease the number of patients who need blood pressure-lowering medicine,” said Dr Alan Hinderliter, lead author of the study and associate professor at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

The researchers studied 129 overweight or obese men and women between ages 40-80 who had hypertension based on the American Heart Association guidelines.

Their blood pressures were between 130 and 160 mmHg systolic (upper reading), and between 80 and 99 mmHg diastolic (lower reading).

The upper reading indicates the pressure in blood vessels when the heart beats. The lower reading, on the other hand, measures the pressure in blood vessels when the heart rests between beats.

All study participants were not taking medication to lower their blood pressure at the time of the study. Yet, more than 50 per cent were required to do so, based on the recommended guidelines.

During the study, researchers randomly assigned each patient to a specific 16-week lifestyle intervention.

Participants in the first group changed the content of their diets and took part in a weight management programme that included behavioural counselling and supervised exercise performed three times weekly.

They embraced eating habits recommended in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan. It encourages people to consume fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products whilst minimising their intake of red meat, salt and sweets.

The second group of study participants only changed their diets — focusing on the DASH plan with the help of a nutritionist — while the third group did not change their exercise regime or eating habits.

At the end of the research, results showed that those eating the DASH diet and participating in the weight management group lost about nine kilogrammes of body weight.

In addition, their blood pressure also reduced by an average of 16 mmHg systolic and 10 mmHg diastolic.

Those following only the DASH eating plan had blood pressure decreases of about 11 mmHg systolic and 8 mmHg diastolic.

Adults who did not change their eating habits or exercise regime experienced a minimal blood pressure decline of about 3 mmHg systolic and 4 mmHg diastolic.

By the study’s end, only 15 per cent of those who had changed both their diet and their exercise habits needed anti-hypertension medicine, compared to 23 per cent in the group that only changed their diet.

However, there was no change in the need for medication among those who did not change their diet or exercise habits.

Dr Charles Kamotho, a Nairobi-based consultant cardiologist notes that exercise should never be ignored as it plays a central role in the prevention and management of NCDs such as hypertension.

“Medication alone isn’t enough, you need to maintain a healthy diet and to exercise regularly to enable your condition to improve.”

He states that people who exercise usually enjoy a good quality of life and will recover much faster.

Some of the major symptoms of high blood pressure include headaches, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, visual changes and blood in the urine.

Hypertension is considered a silent condition as it may take years or decades before the condition reaches levels severe enough for its symptoms to be visible.

RISK FACTORS

The risk factors of the disease include obesity, advanced age, tobacco use, physical inactivity, family history of hypertension, high-stress levels, too much alcohol use, enhanced salt intake and minimal levels of potassium in diets.

In Kenya, the government’s statistics from the 2015 Kenya Stepwise Survey for NCDs risk factors show that more than half (56 per cent) of Kenyans have never been assessed for raised blood pressure.

Out of those tested and found to have hypertension, only 22 per cent are on medication prescribed by a health worker.

Yet, without early diagnosis and prompt treatment, hypertension increases the risk of people getting heart attack or strokes. It may also damage kidneys, cause memory losses and eyesight problems.

Aside from hypertension, studies have also shown that Type 2 diabetes can be reversed through a strict diet and exercise regime.

A clinical trial conducted in Newcastle and Glasgow universities revealed that in some people, Type 2 diabetes could be reversed — even six years into the disease — with a radical low-calorie diet that enhances weight reduction.

According to the study, which was published in The Lancet Journal, nine out of 10 people in the trial who lost 15 kilogrammes or more put their Type 2 diabetes into remission.