ABSTRACT
Non-pharmacological interventions are recommended for hypertension prevention and treatment. This chapter discusses commonly advocated non-pharmacological measures in hypertension prevention and management. Epidemiological studies showed close associations between obesity and arterial hypertension. Weight loss may be considered for the prevention and management of hypertension. An important relationship between blood pressure and sodium intake in treated and untreated hypertensive patients was observed. Reductions in sodium intake may decrease blood pressure in normotensive and more so in hypertensive individuals. Epidemiological evidence supports a role of magnesium intake on blood pressure regulation, and increased magnesium intake was associated with reduced blood pressure and reduced hypertension incidence in individual studies and in a meta-analysis. Cross-sectional studies documented increased blood pressure and hypertension risk with higher levels of alcohol intake. A large body of epidemiological studies demonstrated that physical fitness is associated with reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
