High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects over one-third of adults around the world and is a major cause of early death due to heart disease, stroke, and other long-term health problems.
Even though there are many medicines and treatments to lower blood pressure, people with hypertension still face high risks if other health issues—like obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes—are not properly managed.
In the past, most research has looked at how each of these risk factors affects a person’s chance of dying early.
But a new study shows that it’s not just one risk factor that matters—it’s the combination of many. Taking care of several health problems at the same time can help people with hypertension live longer and healthier lives.
The new study, published on March 19, 2025, in Precision Clinical Medicine, was led by researchers from Tulane University, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Central South University.
The team included Dr. Jian Zhou and Professor Lu Qi. They used data from the UK Biobank, which includes health information from hundreds of thousands of people in the UK. For this study, they focused on almost 71,000 people who had high blood pressure.
The researchers wanted to know if people who took care of several health risks at once could lower their chances of dying early, even if they had hypertension.
They looked at eight health risk factors that can be improved through lifestyle changes or medication: blood pressure, body weight (measured by BMI), waist size, “bad” LDL cholesterol, blood sugar levels (measured by glycated hemoglobin), kidney health (measured by albumin in urine), smoking habits, and physical activity.
Participants were grouped based on how many of these eight risk factors they had under control. Over nearly 14 years of follow-up, the results were clear: the more risk factors people controlled, the longer they lived.
Those who successfully managed all eight risk factors had a 40% lower chance of dying early from any cause compared to those who managed fewer. They also had 53% lower risk of dying from heart-related problems, 39% lower risk from cancer, and 29% lower risk from other causes.
Perhaps the most striking finding was that people with high blood pressure who controlled at least four of the eight risk factors had no greater risk of early death than people without high blood pressure at all. This shows that good overall health can cancel out the dangers usually linked with hypertension.
However, the study also found that only a small number of people—just 7.3%—were able to control seven or more of these risk factors. This points to a big gap in how we currently treat people with high blood pressure. Many are not getting the full care they need beyond just lowering their blood pressure.
Professor Lu Qi, one of the study’s authors, said, “Our study shows that focusing on all major health risks—not just blood pressure—can help people with hypertension live longer. Doctors and health systems need to treat the whole person, not just the numbers.”
This research suggests that we need a major change in how we think about treating high blood pressure. Instead of focusing only on one issue, doctors and patients should aim to improve many areas of health at the same time—like managing weight, quitting smoking, staying active, lowering cholesterol and blood sugar, and protecting kidney health.
It also shows the need for better education, support, and resources to help patients make lasting changes. Future research should explore the best ways to help different types of people, from different backgrounds, meet these health goals.
In short, this study gives people with hypertension new hope: by improving a few key areas of health, they can greatly reduce their risk of dying early and enjoy better quality of life—even if they already have high blood pressure.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about potatoes and high blood pressure, and top 10 choices for a blood pressure-friendly diet
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about impact of vitamins on high blood pressure you need to know, and the powerful link between high blood pressure and a potassium-rich diet.
The research findings can be found in Precision Clinical Medicine.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
