Prevention

Lifestyle changes can help you prevent high blood pressure. These changes are especially important for people who have risk factors for high blood pressure that cannot be changed, including family history, race, or age.

Here are some things you can do:

• Stay at a healthy weight.
• Eat less salt.
• Get regular exercise.
• Cut back on drinking.
• Eat heart-healthy foods.

For help with all of these, see the Living With High Blood Pressure section of this topic.