Hypertension: A Good Reason to Just Say Yes to Drugs

No. Hypertension does not mean being tense. No. Hypertension cannot be cured by losing weight. Yes, as many as 66 percent of people 60 and older have elevated pressures that warrant treatment, so you would think at least 50 percent of people over 60 would get their facts straight. They don’t, as Jane Brody reports in the New York Times. The big take away here: don’t count on getting your blood pressure down without drugs. It’s a nice idea, and weight loss, improvements in diet and exercise habits can help people lower an elevated pressure, but, the Times tells us, most people need help from medication, notably a diuretic in combination with one or two other drugs. Read more in the New York Times.