Staying Healthy

Take back your blood pressure control!

When you're not getting the results you want, consider changing your habits.

By , Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
  • Reviewed by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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A senior man measures his blood pressure while sitting on the couch in his home.

Many factors can sabotage your efforts to control high blood pressure. You might have an underlying condition, such as sleep apnea, that contributes to the problem. Or you might be taking medication, such as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), that interferes with your blood pressure medicine.

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About the Author

photo of Heidi Godman

Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter

Heidi Godman is the executive editor of the Harvard Health Letter. Before coming to the Health Letter, she was an award-winning television news anchor and medical reporter for 25 years. Heidi was named a journalism fellow … See Full Bio
View all posts by Heidi Godman

About the Reviewer

photo of Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Dr. Anthony L. Komaroff is the Steven P. SimcoxPatrick A. Clifford/James H. Higby Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, senior physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and editor in chief of the … See Full Bio
View all posts by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
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As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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Controlling Your Blood Pressure: What to do when your doctor says you have hypertension

An alarming one in three American adults has high blood pressure. Known medically as hypertension, many people don't even know they have it because high blood pressure has no symptoms or warning signs. But when elevated blood pressure is accompanied by abnormal cholesterol and blood sugar levels, the damage to your arteries, kidneys, and heart accelerates exponentially.

Fortunately, high blood pressure is easy to detect and treat. In the Special Health Report Controlling Your Blood Pressure, find out how to keep blood pressure in a healthy range simply by making lifestyle changes such as losing weight, increasing activity, and eating more healthfully.

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