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Will Exercise,diet Control And Less Drinking Make My Blood Pressure Normal?

Posted on Tue, 1 May 2012

Question: My blood pressure is ranging around 135/93 and I am on LOSARTAN/HCT 100-12.5, i HAVE been increasing my exercise and watching my diet but until recently have been drinking red wine 5-6 times per week at 3 glasses on average, with better diet, reduced drinking and increased exercise should I see improvement and how long before I see some results

Answered by Dr. Robert Galamaga (1 hour later)

Hello and thanks for the query.

I will try to provide you with some good information and recommendatikons regarding what is going on.

First of all congratulations on working to adjust your lifestyle and exercise habits to benefit your blood pressure. The blood pressure you report is mildly elevated and I would not consider changing your medication dosing just yet.

I recommend you continue good aerobic exercises for 45 minutes 5 days per week. This will generally start to yield a benefit within 3 months or so. Your weight is almost ideal .

Sometimes with hypertension no matter how healthy you are and how much you exercise - genetics just keeps the blood pressure in an elevated range and we have to treat it with medications. If your pressure remains elevated after 6 to 8 months I think your doctor might consider changing the dose of your blood pressure medication or possibly incorporate an additional medication into the regimen.

Thanks again for the query. I hope my answer was reassuring, informative and helpful. If you have any additional concerns I would be happy to address them.

Sincerely,

Dr. Galamaga

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Robert Galamaga (1 hour later)

Thank you, I have seen spikes in my bp where it is between 140-150 and the bottom number at close to 100 but that seems related to my stress level. Will the reduction in drinking show improvement within weeks not months. Am I focusing too much on my home bp reading machine as I am concerned and take it several times a day. I am very focused on getting this down, I have 3 beautiful little girls and want to be around a long time for them. I will adhere to the exercise you recommend, I am only about 4 weeks in at 3 times per week on exercise and am seeing progress, my routine is about 3 miles in 35- 40 minutes with walking fast and now more running than walking and I see progress. Thank you. I also recently stopped using marijuana and know that will help. I appreciate your input very much.

Answered by Dr. Robert Galamaga (2 hours later)

Thanks for the followup.

It sounds like you have made a life-change commitment which will pay off many times over as you continue to feel stronger, better and more energetic in the future.

As for the decrease in drinking this will take a bit of time to work its way out of your system. The liver will regain optimal function over this period of time and I am sure it will eventually contribute to a better sense of health. I am not concerned at all that you have severe liver disease but steady amounts of drinking can cause a low level of inflammation of the liver.

It is important to determine if your home cuff is accurate so I encourage you to bring it with you to the doctors office to make sure it matches up with their meter. Also, when taking blood pressure at home you should take it after you have been sitting for 5 minutes in a calm state - just a small reminder for you.

I am sure your family will appreciate your commitment to excellent health. You are a young guy and can possibly expect to enjoy a good 50 more years of sharing good times with friends and family.

I wish you all the best on your quest for optimal health and hope you know as well that I am here if you have any additional concerns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Galamaga

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Radhika