Hypertension and Lifestyle Modifications: Beyond Controversy
Bhupendra Chaudhary *
Department of Neurosciences, Jaswant Rai Speciality Hospital, Meerut, U.P., India.
Ansh Chaudhary
Department of Medicine, Bharati Vidhyapeeth University, Medical College Pune - Satara Road, Pune-43, Maharashtra, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Traditional approaches to controlling the epidemic of blood pressure-related atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in people with hypertension have mostly focused on pharmacological therapy. Nonetheless, nonpharmacologic therapy, commonly known as lifestyle modification, plays an essential and rising role in addition to medication therapy. Specifically, non-pharmacologic therapies can serve as initial therapy in Stage 1 hypertensive patients, facilitate medication step down or withdrawal in patients with well-controlled hypertension, prevent hypertension in high-risk populations, and reduce blood pressure in normotensive individuals and thereby lower their risk of ASCVD.
It particularly refers to life-style modifications i.e. therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) which include reducing dietary sodium, exercise for at least 30 min per day, five days per week; to have Dietary Approach to stop Hypertension (DASH) diet protocol and to achieve a weight loss goal of 4.5 kg or more by non-pharmacological measures such as increased physical activity, reduced salt intake, reduced fat intake, alcohol abstinence, smoking cessation, behavioural changes, yoga, meditation etc.
In fact, when we talk about controlling of hypertension, lifestyle modifications is always the first step of foremost importance.
Keywords: Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, lifestyle, cerebro vascular disease