** Thanks for contacting with your health concern 1. If was your attending Physician I would not have immediately put you on high blood pressure medication rather I would have preferred first to exclude risk factors for high blood pressure like lipid- blood sugar and Thyroid profile for any cardiovascular risk factor of high blood pressure. PS. family history [ for essential hypertension] is another for which kidney function tests are advisable along with chest X-ray, EKG 2. Other secondary factors which can contribute to high blood pressure are being overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle, high salt intake, and addiction to smoking/alcohol. 3. Get a second opinion from a Cardiologist who might initially start with the lowest dose [i.e. with 25 mg], since you never have high blood pressure, thus incorporate the dietary regime in between: i. LOW SALT DIET . Total salt intake should not exceed 2.5 gm per day . No extra salt should be taken during meals. . Use Losalt, where salt is essential . Avoid salt-rich foods: pickles, papads, sauce, cheese, salted butter/ biscuits/ peanuts-cashews/buttermilk, popcorns, wafers, preserved/tinned food. [Make sure high protein diet is taken in moderation] ii. LOW FAT DIET . Avoid saturated oils [coconut oil, dalda, butter, ghee, cream] instead use monosaturated oils [olive oil] or polyunsaturated oils [sunflower, corn oil] . Avoid all deep fried foods, unskimmed milk, and meat. . Increase fiber intake i.e. leafy vegetables, salads, fruits, pulses, and legumes. . Use skimmed milk or double toned low-fat milk. PS. valsartan is an Angiotensin II receptor antagonist which include constricting blood vessels and activating aldosterone to reduce blood pressure thereby preventing strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problem. I prefer the same in people with type II diabetes and high blood pressure or albumin in urine [KW: kimmelstiel wilson syndrome] since it is known to slow the development of ESRD [end stage renal disease]