Can lifestyle modifications and regular exercises help reduce blood pressure?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have a 23-year-old son, and I checked his blood pressure. His readings were 131/94 mm of Hg one night, 124/92 mm of Hg the next morning, and 126/93 mm of Hg in the evening two days later. Please advise if these blood pressure readings are normal. My son refuses to go for any blood tests despite my requests. Could you also indicate which number is considered high or normal? Furthermore, could you please explain the causes of high blood pressure? My son does not smoke or engage in other unhealthy habits. Can high blood pressure be cured, or is it only manageable? Is this considered hypertension? Could high blood pressure potentially damage the kidneys?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is simply when the pressure with which blood flows through a blood vessel is elevated. In your son's case, it is not extremely high. The normal blood pressure at any time of the day should be less than 120/80 mm of Hg, so it is slightly elevated for him. He does not need to take any medications for this.

Lifestyle modifications such as dietary changes, including reducing excessive salt intake, avoiding high oil content and fried foods, ensuring good sleep, minimizing stress, engaging in regular exercise, consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables, and losing weight if he is overweight, contribute to naturally reducing blood pressure.

There is no need for any blood tests right now, but keep periodically monitoring his blood pressure to stay informed about its status. It is not alarming, so let him enjoy and continue with his activities.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Thank you.