Almost half of adults have high blood pressure — the “silent killer” — so you’re not alone if you’re concerned yours isn’t in a healthy range. Medication might seem the obvious course of action, but it’s not the only way to lower your numbers, whether they’re already in the dangerous zone or just starting to creep up. In fact, there’s a lot you can do to prevent and lower high blood pressure — and even get off medication if that’s your goal. In this episode, a preventive cardiologist explains how the choices you make every day affect your blood pressure and offers strategies for maintaining healthy numbers.

Expert: Dr. Sadeer Al-Kindi, Preventive Cardiologist

Interviewer: Katie McCallum

Notable topics covered: 

• How high blood pressure’s effect on arteries resembles pipe corrosion in the oil industry 
• It’s not just stroke and heart disease – high blood pressure can also affect the kidneys and brain 
• The lifestyle factors that help prevent and lower high blood pressure 
• It’s never too late to reverse high blood pressure 
• The single best thing you can do to lower your blood pressure 
• Whether behavior changes are enough to help avoid or get off blood pressure medication 
• Is vaping as bad for blood pressure as smoking? 
• You may not think you’re getting that much salt, but are you reading food labels? 
• How much you can expect your blood pressure to drop if you get down to a healthy weight 
• Actionable ways to achieve the lifestyle needed to maintain a healthy blood pressure 

If you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.