How to lower blood pressure in 2025? You can add digital tools to your medications and lifestyle. Why do we want to lower blood pressure? Lowering blood pressure even a little cuts risk of dying from a stroke or a heart attack. For example, a 2 mmHg drop in SBP can cut stroke risk by ~10%. A major trial (SPRINT, 9,361 patients) showed that treating to SBP <120 (vs <140) cut heart attacks and strokes by ~25% and all deaths by ~27%. However, globally only ~21% of people with hypertension have it under control.
Here is what you can do.
Dietary Changes
- DASH diet: Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy. This “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension” is proven to lower BP. In trials, people on DASH had SBP ~6–9 mmHg lower than on a typical diet. Combining DASH with low salt gave even bigger drops.
- Reduce salt (sodium): Most people exceed the WHO advice of ≤5 g of salt per day. Cutting salt intake lowers BP. In the DASH-Sodium study, moving from a higher-salt diet to a low-salt diet cut SBP by ~2.1–6.7 mmHg. Countries that cut salt have seen population BP fall. To save salt: cook with spices instead of salt, avoid processed foods (canned soups, fast foods) and read labels.
- Eat potassium-rich foods: Foods like bananas, oranges, spinach and beans raise potassium intake, which counteracts sodium. Higher dietary potassium is linked to lower blood pressure.
- Limit alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol raises blood pressure. In one review of trials, cutting alcohol significantly lowered BP by ~3.3 mmHg systolic and ~2.0 mmHg diastolic. Men should aim for <2 drinks per day, women <1.
- Avoid excess caffeine and sugar: Caffeine can cause short-term blood pressure spikes. High sugar intake and sweetened drinks are linked with higher BP. Choose water, tea, and fresh foods.
Exercise and Weight Control
- Stay active: Do at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise (like brisk walking, cycling or swimming). Exercise makes your heart and vessels healthier. A meta-analysis of 54 trials (2,419 people) found regular aerobic exercise cuts SBP by ~3.8 mmHg and DBP by ~2.6 mmHg on average.
- Lose excess weight: Carrying extra weight raises BP. Weight loss gives big benefits. One recent meta-analysis (35 trials, 3,219 patients) found that losing weight to reduce body‑mass index (BMI) by ~2.3 points (roughly 6–7% of body weight) cut SBP by ~5.8 mmHg. A larger BMI drop (~4.1 points) cut SBP by ~6.6 mmHg. Roughly, each kilogram of weight lost lowers SBP by ~1 mmHg. Even 5–10% weight loss can yield ~5–10 mmHg drop.
- Core strength and resistance: In addition to cardio, include strength or resistance exercise 2–3 times per week. These also help control BP and improve body composition.
- Quit smoking: Smoking raises heart rate and BP in the short term. Quitting improves overall cardiovascular health, even if BP effects are smaller than weight or salt.
Healthy Lifestyle Details
- Stress management: Chronic stress can keep BP high. Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, yoga or tai chi can modestly lower BP. Some studies show meditation training can reduce SBP by a few mmHg. Even improving sleep quality (7–8 hours/night) helps BP control.
- Dietary supplements: Foods high in nitrates (beets, leafy greens) or magnesium may help lower BP slightly. Fish oil and other supplements have mixed evidence. Always discuss supplements with your doctor.
- Potassium and calcium: Adequate calcium (dairy, nuts) and potassium (fruits, veggies) intake supports normal BP. Most guidelines encourage a balanced diet rather than high doses of any vitamin.
Blood Pressure Medicines
When lifestyle changes are not enough, doctors prescribe pills. Common first-line drugs include:
- Thiazide diuretics: (e.g. chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide) – these remove salt and water via the kidneys, lowering blood volume and pressure.
- ACE inhibitors: (e.g. lisinopril, enalapril) – block production of angiotensin, a hormone that narrows arteries. Vessels relax and BP falls.
- Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs): (e.g. losartan, valsartan) – block angiotensin’s effect on vessels, similarly relaxing arteries.
- Calcium channel blockers: (e.g. amlodipine, diltiazem) – prevent calcium from entering heart and vessel muscle cells, which relaxes and widens arteries. Some also slow heart rate.
- Beta-blockers: (e.g. metoprolol, atenolol) – slow the heartbeat and reduce workload on the heart. Often used if you have heart disease or tremors.
- Others: If needed, doctors may add potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone), alpha-blockers, or other agents.
Typically one pill lowers SBP by ~5–15 mmHg. Often two different classes are combined to reach target BP. For example, in the ALLHAT trial (over 40,000 patients), a thiazide (chlorthalidone) worked at least as well as other drugs for preventing heart events. Modern guidelines often target BP <130/80 (some say <140/90) depending on age and risk. In SPRINT, intensive treatment to SBP ~121 (vs 135 mmHg) cut major cardiovascular events by ~25%. Always take medications as directed. Report side effects to your doctor; often doses can be adjusted or switched.
Digital Tools and Home Monitoring
Home and digital tools can help manage blood pressure. Digital health means using apps, devices or telemedicine to improve care. A connected home blood pressure monitor (cuff device at home) records readings and can send them to your doctor. Home blood pressure is more predictive of risk than office measurements. It avoids “white coat” spikes. Using a tracker (paper or app) encourages regular checks and diet/exercise logging.
Smartphone apps can coach and remind you. For example, one 6-month trial in China found patients using a blood-pressure app plus education achieved 90.1% blood pressure control, vs 65.2% in usual care. In that study, the app group reduced their SBP by ~25.8 mmHg on average, compared to ~21.8 mmHg in controls. Patients also improved salt reduction, diet and exercise through app guidance.
Meta-analyses show digital therapies yield modest but significant blood pressure drops. One meta-analysis (15 trials, 3,789 patients) found app-based/telehealth interventions lowered SBP by ~3.8 mmHg and DBP by ~1.8 mmHg on average versus usual care. It also improved blood pressure control rates by about 1.5%. Though these drops seem small, experts stress any drop matters – even a 1–2 mmHg reduction translates into meaningful reductions in stroke and heart disease over time.
The Heartery App and PPG Technology
Heartery is a new hypertension management app built by doctors and tech experts. The app tracks your blood pressure readings, medications and lifestyle factors. For example, you can scan any food, packaged or ready to see its salt content. It flags any foods unsafe with high blood pressure. Have side effects from medications? Heartery will point you to credible sources of registered side effects. You can also get an exercise plan to lower blood pressure. It is personalised with your current activity and other health data.
A standout feature is its use of photoplethysmography (PPG). Heartery integrates camera-based vital-sign technology. Using the smartphone camera, Shen AI’s algorithms can measure over 30 health markers – including blood pressure and heart rate – without any cuff. The PPG signals are analyzed by deep learning to estimate blood pressure. The provider reports accuracy comparable to traditional cuff monitors.
After Heartery added this feature, it quickly became a top-rated blood pressure app in multiple countries This digital tool complements tracking and lifestyle coaching. It also securely logs data under strict privacy rules (GDPR/HIPAA).
