A large new study led by researchers at Tulane University has found that people with high blood pressure can dramatically reduce—and even eliminate—their increased risk of dying early by addressing several key health risk factors.
The study, published in Precision Clinical Medicine, followed over 294,000 participants for nearly 14 years, offering strong evidence that treating hypertension should go beyond just lowering blood pressure.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the most common chronic health conditions and is defined as having a blood pressure reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher. It’s also the number one preventable cause of early death around the world.
Yet, the new research shows that by managing other related health issues, people with hypertension can bring their risk of premature death in line with those who don’t have high blood pressure at all.
The researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank, a large long-term health study, which included more than 70,000 people with hypertension and over 224,000 without it. They looked at how well participants managed eight major health risk factors:
- Blood pressure
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Waist circumference
- LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
- Blood sugar
- Kidney function
- Smoking status
- Physical activity
Their findings were striking: hypertensive individuals who had at least four of these eight risk factors under control had no greater risk of dying early (before age 80) than people without high blood pressure.
Each additional controlled risk factor was linked to:
- 13% lower risk of early death from any cause
- 12% lower risk of death from cancer
- 21% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of premature death globally
The greatest benefits were seen in those who managed seven or more of the risk factors:
- 40% lower risk of all-cause early death
- 39% lower risk of early cancer death
- 53% lower risk of cardiovascular death
“Controlling blood pressure is important, but it’s not enough on its own,” said Dr. Lu Qi, the study’s lead author and professor of epidemiology at Tulane University. “High blood pressure can worsen or be worsened by other health problems. If we focus on managing the full picture—things like weight, cholesterol, and lifestyle—we can help people live longer, healthier lives.”
Despite these encouraging results, only 7% of people with high blood pressure in the study had seven or more of the risk factors under control, pointing to a large gap in preventive care.
The researchers emphasize that treating high blood pressure should be personalized and holistic—not just about prescribing medication, but also addressing habits like diet, exercise, smoking, and other chronic conditions.
Their findings suggest that even people already living with hypertension can change their outlook by making manageable improvements in several areas of health.
This study marks a shift in how we might think about blood pressure treatment—not just as a single number to target, but as part of a broader strategy to prevent early death and improve quality of life.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about what to eat and to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the connection between potato and high blood pressure, and how to eat your way to healthy blood pressure.
The study is published in Precision Clinical Medicine.
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