How can you lower your blood pressure?
Blood pressure is regulated by a complex system with various feedback loops and different "levers" that can be targeted with medication. Accordingly, there are many ways medications can lower blood pressure. The foundation of treatment is always the recommended lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes alone can be enough for people with mild hypertension (grade 1) to prevent or at least delay the need for medication. In addition, if blood-pressure-lowering medicines are still needed, lifestyle changes can enhance their effect and may reduce the amount of medication required.
The following measures are recommended:
- Stop smoking
- Reduce alcohol intake to less than 14 units per week for men and 8 units per week for women (1 unit = 125 ml wine or 250 ml beer).
- Lose weight if you are overweight
- Regular physical activity at least 30 minutes on 57 days per week.
- Reduce salt intake to less than five grams per day
- Eat more vegetables, fruit, fish, nuts and unsaturated fats (e.g. olive oil). Also choose lowfat dairy products and limit red meat.
- Avoid binge drinking completely
A sufficient, but not excessive, intake of potassium from food (for example fruit, vegetables, legumes) can have a beneficial effect on blood pressure. However, before you take overthecounter potassium effervescent tablets or similar products, be sure to speak with your doctor to avoid side effects. This is especially important if you have kidney disease, because in that case you should not get too much potassium. So it is important to discuss this with your doctor.
If blood pressure is correspondingly high (hypertension grade II or III) or if additional risk factors are present (for example diabetes), drug treatment is usually started early.
Antihypertensives blood pressurelowering medications
For routine treatment, medications from five different drug classes are recommended; they are generally considered roughly equivalent to each other (depending on other underlying conditions). All of them can be used both to start treatment and for longterm management of high blood pressure. These are:
- Diuretics "water pills"
- Beta blockers
- Calcium channel blockers (three different groups)
- ACE inhibitors
- Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)
For most patients, treatment is started right away with a combination of two drug classes, preferably combined in a single pill.
Monotherapy that is, treatment with only one drug class should be used only for grade 1 hypertension or selected patients (e.g. very advanced age). As long as the target blood pressure is not reached, medication should be intensified. A triple combination therapy may also be considered.
The final treatment decision is up to your treating physician.
For more information, see our article on high blood pressure medications.
Articles in this category:
- Causes of High Blood Pressure
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower high blood pressure naturally
- Blood Pressure and Relaxation
- High blood pressure and smoking
- Blood pressure and alcohol
- Exercise for High Blood Pressure
- BMI - Body Mass Index
- Breathing to lower high blood pressure
- Midday nap lowers blood pressure
- Shinrin Yoku - Forest bathing for blood pressure
- Acupuncture and Acupressure for High Blood Pressure
- Blood donation for high blood pressure
Sources:
This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 11/2025).
Author Dr. med. Christine Berchtold-Benchieb is a specialist in general medicine, studied at LMU Munich and has worked in hospitals as well as in several general and specialist practices. Her many years of daily care for patients with high blood pressure combine evidence-based expertise with practical experience and provide reliable recommendations.
Author Dr. med. Christine Berchtold-Benchieb is a specialist in general medicine, studied at LMU Munich and has worked in hospitals as well as in several general and specialist practices. Her many years of daily care for patients with high blood pressure combine evidence-based expertise with practical experience and provide reliable recommendations.
Related articles:
- Shinrin Yoku - Forest bathing for blood pressure
- Does puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris) lower blood pressure
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Blood Pressure
- Midday nap lowers blood pressure
- Pumpkin against high blood pressure?
- Can pineapple lower blood pressure?
- Potassium-rich diet to lower high blood pressure
- Does quercetin help with high blood pressure?
- Does CBD or hemp oil help with high blood pressure?
- Blueberries can they help lower high blood pressure?
