Individuals detected to have mildly elevated blood pressure may be able to maintain normal blood pressure for the next 15 years without any medications!
That’s what the HARVEST trial says. The data was presented at the 2013 International Conference on Prehypertension and Cardiometabolic Syndrome.
Young adults (1012 in number with a mean age of 33 years) were diagnosed with mildly elevated blood pressure (grade 1 hypertension). They were followed up for the next 15 years.
It was observed that in 198 patients, the blood pressure fell to within normal range within the first few months and they managed to remain normotensive (normal blood pressure) over next 15 years.
The patients whose blood pressure fell and remained normal had a slightly lower body-mass index (BMI), lower coffee consumption, lower triglycerides, and higher physical-activity levels than the ones in whom the blood pressure remained higher!
Again a trial highlighting the importance of body weight and exercise to avoid diseases like diabetes and blood pressure.
Fifteen years later, hypertension free!
That’s great! Isn’t it? So start walking and eat healthy!
via Remaining normotensive: Insights from HARVEST | theheart.org.
Source: Glucose Watch non-invasive continuous monitors due for release in 2011.
If aldosterone levels are high, but renin is low, the patient may
have primary hyperaldosteronism. These two interventions could lead to a more accurate
reading of your blood pressure, and could make
the difference between a diagnosis of high
blood pressure, or not.