Medication for high blood pressure is extremely common. But who needs it? How high should the blood pressure be before medication is indicated? Usually a blood pressure above 140/90 is said to be high and a lot of people are then put on drugs.
But a new big review of all studies shows that it’s unclear if medication helps when blood pressure is only mildly elevated (140-159 systolic and/or 90-99 diastolic). It’s likely that the risk of side effects may outweigh the potential benefits in these cases.
Eating less sugar and starch may be a healthier way of lowering a mildly elevated blood pressure. A significantly reduced blood pressure has been shown in a number of studies testing low carb diets for weight loss (lower than on other weight loss diets). And I see it regularly in my patients.
