THE TREATMENT OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

The best way to prevent high blood pressure is, as with diabetes, to change your lifestyle and follow certain lifestyle and dietary rules. These measures form the necessary basis of treatment and make it possible to delay taking medication, or even sometimes to avoid it. However, drug treatment can sometimes be essential.

Treating hypertension without drugs: changing your lifestyle

1/ Start with salt

Minimize your salt intake , which is responsible for approximately 25,000 deaths per year in France. Consumed in excess, it is harmful for the cardiovascular system and diabetes because it increases blood pressure.
The average salt consumption of the French is estimated at 10 g/d, while health authorities recommend ingesting a maximum of 5 to 6 g/d. Reducing your daily intake by 1 g could reduce blood pressure by up to 1 cm Hg*. This excess of salt is mainly due to its excessive use by the food industry. Indeed, ready meals, biscuits, cereals, soups and even baker's bread, contain much more than necessary (we find up to 10 g in certain prepared soups, 2.6 g in a baguette) . It is therefore also necessary to decipher nutritional claims (“reduced in salt/sodium”, low in salt/sodium”, “salt-free”...), the amounts of salt and sodium on food labels,
To learn more, check out our article on how to read labels properly .

2/ Eating a balanced diet:

In France, hypertensive people are more overweight compared to normal French people with high blood pressure. A reduction of 5 kg already allows you to lower your blood pressure.
A balanced diet and the fight against obesity are then at the heart of the treatment.
It is best to limit your consumption of bad fats (such as animal fats or palm oil), salt and coffee (4 caffeinated coffees / day maximum), in favor of a consumption of 5 fruits and vegetables per day minimum. Try to eat fatty fish 2 to 3 times a week (like mackerel, sardines, or salmon).

Beyond diet, you also need to make some changes in your lifestyle. Regular physical activity is very important, as is quitting smoking and alcohol . It is also important to avoid stress by practicing activities such as meditation, yoga, and/or sophrology.

Treat hypertension with medication

If it is not possible to cure high blood pressure, well tolerated and effective treatments can treat it, in addition to lifestyle and dietary measures, if blood pressure is still not controlled.
 
The goal is to lower blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg

(no target blood pressure value but over a range of pressures between 120 and 130 mmHg. recommended diastolic pressure is 80 mmHg); Concerning the oldest, from the age of 80, it is recommended to consider an antihypertensive treatment, from 140 mmHg as for patients between 65 and 79 years old and it is recommended to obtain a blood pressure objective between 130 and 140 mmHg for the NOT)
 

There are 8 families of drugs against hypertension, which are called hypotensives or antihypertensives. Their mechanisms of action being different, they can be complementary.

 - Thiazide diuretics which stimulate the elimination of water and salt by the kidneys, and which are often associated with another drug.
    - Beta-blockers which act on the level of stress and adrenaline (which decreases the power and frequency of heartbeats).
  - Calcium channel blockers or antagonists which act as vasodilators, softening and dilating the arteries to limit the pressure.
  - Alpha receptor inhibitors or alpha-blockers which act directly on the arteries.
   - Central anti-hypertensives which act on the cerebral commands of the brain. But they are used less because of more frequent side effects.
    - Renin inhibitors (RDIs) which block a substance secreted by the kidneys which promotes contraction of the arteries.
   - Inhibitors of the converting enzyme (IEC) which act on an enzyme in the kidneys, and which have a favorable action on the heart and the arteries.
    - Angiotensin receptor antagonists (ARA II) which act against a very active substance which causes constriction of the arteries and hypertension.

The choice of treatment is made according to the stage of the disease, its evolution and the profile of the patient, combining efficacy and good tolerance. It is often necessary to combine two drugs from different families, but sometimes just one is enough. The patient is at the center of diagnosis and treatment, it is his feelings that take precedence. Hence the need to regularly readjust the treatment according to the individual objectives set with your doctor.
Treatments will only be effective if taken daily. Your own motivation is one of the essential keys to the success of your hypertension treatment.