Refractory hypertension usually refers to high blood pressure that does not respond to medical treatments. Now, new study results suggest positive effects of lifestyle changes, such as dietary changes and cardio trainingto lower blood pressure. Additionally, the study authors hope that these findings will encourage people to consider such preventative measures as new treatment options.
Diet and cardiac rehabilitation for refractory hypertension
Some preliminary evidence suggests that diet and physical activity may lower blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension. However, to date there has been a lack of high-quality studies. Therefore, the research team wanted to investigate the connection between such lifestyle changes and high blood pressure. To do this, the study participants were supposed to undergo a 4-month combined diet plan and an exercise intervention. All subjects had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kilograms per square meter or more at the start of the study. They also did not engage in regular moderate or vigorous physical activity and took an average of 3.5 prescribed antihypertensive medications. The DASH diet used is a flexible eating plan that reduces sugar and saturated fat intake. On the other hand, this increases the consumption of vegetables, fruit, whole grain products, fish, poultry and legumes. After the 4-month program, the monitored group saw a 12-point decrease in resting systolic blood pressure compared to 7 points in the self-controlled group. This is the pressure on the artery walls.
Overall, the study results are not surprising. Cardiac rehabilitation has already been shown to be effective in preventing heart problems and death. However, the study authors believe that for the program to be maximally effective, all components of the intervention must be delivered. There are also a number of potential physiological mechanisms that could have influenced these results. The researchers concluded that people can best achieve lifestyle changes when supported by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals in a cardiac rehabilitation setting. The resultsthis studysuggest that citizens and policymakers should consider refractory hypertension as a new indication for cardiac rehabilitation with appropriate coverage.
