


Making lifestyle changesĪll people with high blood pressure should follow the recommended lifestyle advice given by their doctor.įor some people, making some simple lifestyle changes may be all that’s needed to bring blood pressure down. Some people with high blood pressure that is difficult to treat may need to be referred to a cardiologist (specialist in high blood pressure and heart conditions). In addition to treating high blood pressure, your doctor will recommend treatments for any other risk factors you have for cardiovascular disease. The treatment that is most suitable for you will depend on your blood pressure readings plus your absolute risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as whether you have any effects from having high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor will check if you have any other cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, or a family history of angina or heart attack, so that your absolute risk of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease can be determined. Treatment for high blood pressure includes: Hypertension (the medical term for high blood pressure) that isn’t treated can greatly increase a person’s risk of developing coronary heart disease (narrowing of the arteries that supply your heart), heart failure, kidney failure and stroke, so it is important that it is managed and treated.
