I have high blood pressure - what can I do?
Last Updated: July 17 2025
Table of Contents
High blood pressure can increase the risk of future dementia by 20 to 40%, and when combined with other cardiovascular risk factors like smoking, diabetes, and high cholesterol, the risk is even higher.
The good news is, modern medicine has found many ways to bring your blood pressure back into a healthy range.
This article will explains why high blood pressure is a problem and how you can improve it naturally or with medication.
What is “high” blood pressure?
As discussed in this article, high blood pressure is when your average reading is above 130/80 mmHg.
The top number (called your “systolic” blood pressure) is usually most important, so just keep the number 130 in mind.
Anything above 130 is considered high blood pressure.
Why is high blood pressure a problem?
Imagine shooting high pressure water through a pipe. The pressure might be manageable for a few hours or days, but over time it can damage the pipe causing cracks and water leaks.
This is the same for your arteries. Long-term high blood pressure damages your arteries. They become stiff, narrow, and prone to cracks. Your body tries to repair them, but this itself can lead to blockages (called “atherosclerosis”).
Since your arteries are needed to bring your organs oxygen, when they become damaged your organs suffer. This can lead to:
Heart damage (heart attacks and heart failure)
Brain damage (strokes and vascular dementia)
Kidney damage (called chronic kidney disease)
Limb damage (peripheral arterial disease, gangrene, and amputations)
Eye damage (called hypertensive retinopathy)
You can see that one simple thing - high blood pressure - can damage every organ in your body.
The good news is: high blood pressure is extremely treatable.
High blood pressure is like having high pressure water pounding through pipes - eventually the pipes can burst and cause a lot of damage.
Natural treatments
Natural treatments - meaning without medications - can improve your blood pressure and even cure it in many cases.
They are recommended as the first step for anyone with high blood pressure.
1.Nutrition
Following the MIND diet can help you reduce your blood pressure. It incorporates elements of the DASH diet (specific for high blood pressure), and the Mediterranean diet which is known to reduce the risk of dementia.
The 3 key nutritional changes to reduce your blood pressure are:
Reduce your salt intake to less than 2 grams per day by limiting processed foods.
The more salt you consume, the higher your blood pressure.
Most of the salt in your diet comes from processed foods, NOT table salt - it’s okay to add salt to that homemade chicken breast, as long as you’re limiting processed foods like:
Processed meats – deli slices, hot dogs, sausages
Convenience meals – frozen dinners, instant noodles, boxed mac & cheese
Packaged snacks – chips, crackers, granola bars
2. Increase your potassium intake through fruits and vegetables.
Potassium does the opposite of salt, and lowers your blood pressure.
If you have significant kidney disease, check with your healthcare provider first before increasing your potassium intake.
3. Reduce alcohol intake
If you drink more than 3 drinks per day, reducing your alcohol intake can reduce your blood pressure.
If you currently drink 2 or less drinks per day, studies don’t show a difference in blood pressure with reducing intake. You might still choose to reduce your intake for other benefits.
Making small changes to the way you eat can reduce your blood pressure naturally.
2. Exercise
Work towards getting at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week.
Exercise can reduce your blood pressure. The best studied type of exercise are those that get your heart rate up. This includes:
Brisk walking
Swimming
Cycling
Dancing
Mowing the lawn, etc
Get out there and groove to the music to improve your blood pressure.
3. Weight loss
Losing weight can reduce your blood pressure by 7 points!
The majority of weight loss comes from reducing the amount of calories we consume.
While exercise can help burn a few extra calories, it is much easier and more effective to reduce calorie intake. For example, a 30 minute walk is equivalent to just two slices of bread.
Try using MyFitnessPal (a free app) to track your calories over the next week and get personal data on your calorie intake.
Eating less calories will result in weight loss - the first step is to track what you eat to know where you’re starting from.
Medications
Medications called “antihypertensives” are very effective at lowering your blood pressure. They won’t cure the disease, but they provide a helpful tool for reducing your blood pressure while making lifestyle changes.
As well, it is common and okay to need to remain on these medications lifelong, if it means your blood pressure stays in the optimal range.
Common high blood pressure medications include:
Ramipril or Perindopril or Lisinopril (watch for side effect of dry cough).
Irbesartan or Candesartan
Amlodipine (watch for side effect of ankle swelling).
Hydrochlorothiazide (watch for side effect of dehydration).
Combination pills (include 2 of any of the above).
If you aren’t sure if you’re on an antihypertensive or whether it’s having a side effect, talk to your pharmacist.
There are lots of options available, and most people can find combination that works well for them without side effects.
IMPORTANT: A commonly overlooked adverse effect of antihypertensives is low blood pressure. If you are feeling light headed or dizzy, especially when you go from sitting to standing, your medication might be the cause.
Check your blood pressure sitting down and after you stand up.
If there is a drop of more than 20 points between the two, book an appointment with your doctor to discuss reducing or coming off your high blood pressure pills.
Check-in with your pharmacist or doctor to review your medications and determine if more - or less - is right for you.
What number am I aiming for?
As discussed in this article, you want to have a blood pressure around 110 - 130.
Blood pressures lower than 100 can cause dizziness and poor blood flow to the brain, while above 130 can lead to longterm consequences.
Work with your healthcare provider to gradually bring your pressure into the optimal range.
Once your blood pressure is stable, check it once a month to make sure it’s still in the right range, and check it whenever you feel light headed or dizzy.
In closing…
High blood pressure is when your top number is consistently above 130.
Over many years, this can lead to damage to all your vital organs
You can reduce or cure your high blood pressure with nutrition, exercise, and weight loss.
You can also reduce your high blood pressure with medications.
Make sure your blood pressure doesn’t go too low if you are on medication - if you feel light headed or dizzy, check your blood pressure and speak to a healthcare provider.
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References:
Goupil R, Tsuyuki R, Santesso N, et al. Hypertension Canada guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in adults in primary care. CMAJ, 2025 (view it here)
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