Resistant Hypertension - Management Tips

Resistant hypertension refers to the condition where your blood pressure remains high despite taking at least 3-4 different types of medications and diuretics. Resistant hypertension may occur due to one or more underlying causes – hormonal abnormalities, plaque build-up in the arteries, obstructive sleep apnoea, obesity, and others.

Ways to manage resistant hypertension

Since neither medications nor diuretics yield the desired results, the only way to combat resistant hypertension is to adopt lifestyle changes that might help keep high blood pressure under control.

• Eat a low-salt well-balanced diet – Eating a heart-healthy diet is important to control resistant hypertension. Get all the nutrition from healthy food sources. Focus on eating a DASH diet that is rich in fibre and low in sodium – whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, fibre, low-fat dairy products, nuts and legumes. At the same time, reduce your intake of saturated fats, sweetened beverages, and red meat.

• Limit intake of alcohol – Drinking too much alcohol elevates your blood pressure. If you have resistant hypertension, you will need to limit your daily alcohol intake to 1-2 drinks.

• Indulge in physical activities – Staying physically active not only helps regulate your high blood pressure, but also helps strengthen the heart, manage weight, and reduce stress levels. A strong heart, healthy weight, and emotional well-being are good for hypertension. Make time for mild to moderate physical activities like brisk walking, cycling, running or jogging, and muscle training. Working out at least 30-45 minutes a day can make a huge difference in your overall health.

• Keep your weight under check – Being obese or overweight puts you at risk of high blood pressure and other related health issues. It is important that you lose excess weight and maintain healthy body weight. Eat healthily and work out every day to manage resistant hypertension.

• Lower stress levels – In today’s fast-paced life, stress can take a toll on your blood pressure, causing it to rise up sharply. Practice various stress-management techniques – meditation, yoga, relaxation therapy, and deep breathing exercises can help calm your mind and bring down your stress levels.

Apart from following these, resistant hypertension patients should continue taking the right dose of medications at the right time, as per their doctor’s recommendation.