Most people with high blood pressure have what is known as primary hypertension. That means there is no known cause. There is also a condition known as secondary hypertension. People with this form of high blood pressure have an underlying condition that is causing the blood pressure problem. Eliminating the condition will make the blood pressure go down to normal in many of these patients. One cause of secondary hypertension is narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the kidney. This narrowing can be corrected by surgery and by other techniques. Many patients have normal blood pressure after the narrowing is corrected.
For most people, high blood pressure is a chronic condition that will need to be treated for the life of the patient. But lifestyle changes can help, and may make it possible for some people to come off their drugs. We know that losing weight can reduce blood pressure and make it normal in some people. We also know that routine exercise (at least three times a week), diet changes, and use of less salt can also lower blood pressure. For some people with milder forms of high blood pressure, these changes can be enough to lower their blood pressure to normal. These lifestyle changes are important to everyone regardless of blood pressure.
Franco V. Oparil S. Carretero OA. Hypertensive therapy: Part II. [Review] [73 refs] Circulation. 109(25):3081-8, 2004 Jun 29.
