This study demonstrated that 30% of patients with mild to moderate elevated blood pressure (BP), who received a placebo, had their BP lowered to below the set goal of a diastolic pressure of lower than 90 mm Hg.
The researchers note that this high response rate is close to those achieved with medication and may therefore be a valuable tool, especially considering the significant adverse effects that can occur with drugs.
Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:1449-1454
Absolutely amazing that nearly one-third of patients do not even need the medication to lower their blood pressure. It just goes to show that there are so many ways to treat high blood pressure that are not utilized. Optimizing your diet to follow a plan like the one in my Total Health Program is the most profound way--it works close to 50 percent to 75 percent of the time. When you combine a healthy diet with regular exercise, that percentage rises to higher than 85 percent.
Successfully treating high blood pressure without medications is really very simple. It is actually one of the easiest things that I do in the office and we are able to help nearly all of the patients that see us discontinue their medications for high blood pressure.
However, it is important to remember that high blood pressure normally kills you slowly over time. If your systolic blood pressure is over 160-180, though, there is a danger that you could have a stroke. Because of this, you need to be very careful about stopping your blood pressure medications without monitoring your blood pressure, as strokes can be very devastating.