alt Hacker NewsFYI, the absolute fastest way to lower blood pressure is to lose weight if you are obese.
Rule of thumb is that your systolic blood pressure will drop by 1 mmHg per 1 lb of weight loss, eventually slowing down to 1 mmHg per 2 lbs of weight loss as you get back down to more normal blood pressure range / weight range.
Source: went from 160/110 to 120/90 in several months by dropping 60 lbs.
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I've had similar results with blood pressure, although a smaller weight loss (about 30 lbs) and smaller decrease. Another 10-20 pounds to go.
For what it's worth, I'm on a intermittent fast. I only eat between 5pm to 10pm, with no real restrictions on what I eat. I was surprised how quickly weight fell away, and how easy a diet it was to stick to. 'Eat after work' was a simple behavior to adapt to.
People are very individual, and this might not work for a lot of people, but it's doing great for me. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life on blood-pressure drugs.
This is true but not the only cause of high blood pressure. It may be worth adding that many people about 1 in 200 have thyroid issues that also raise heart rate and thus BP. There are other causes as well, too many to list. It took me a long time to find some of my causes after losing weight.
While it does appear to work for many, I personally lost about 20% weight or 40lbs, with seemingly zero effect on blood pressure. I do measure it around the same time of the day, same place, nearly same condition... So it is not about inconsistencies of measurement - I had elevated blood pressure for as long as I remember. My BP does respond to exercise (or more likely to body heating up) for short period of time, and to meds, but meds make it very inconvenient since I have to plan it around my day - having meds and working on something outside in Texas heat = too low BP.
I don't deny that reducing overweight is very likely to improve your health, certainly for the obese.
However, high blood pressure and weight are not as simple as one might think.
My friend has had problems with blood pressure since his 40s, but he is not overweight at all and has never been. He exercises at least weekly.
I am 60, at least 15 kgs overweight for the last 20 years (not obese), but my blood pressure is very good. I have always excercised daily, often for 1 - 2 hours, but at low intensity. Nowadays even lower because I have knee problems. Probably lower weight would have helped with those.
Achieving five minutes of daily exercise is easier than dropping 60 lbs. Nice work though
Achieving five minutes of daily exercise is easier than dropping 60 lbs.
I love hearing stories like this, well done.
Yep, I found weight loss was pretty much the only thing that would drop my blood pressure. Though it didn't drop linearly like you're describing. From 215lb to 180lbs, it didn't really change much at all. Once I got down below 180lbs, it quickly dropped (from ~150/90 to ~120/80) and stayed there. When I slacked off my good eating habits and went back above 180lbs, blood pressure shot right back up to ~150/90. I'm back down again to about 172lbs and clearly get it now, I have to stay here.