A new study led by researchers at Tulane University has found that people with high blood pressure may be able to significantly reduce—or even completely eliminate—their increased risk of dying early by managing several other health risk factors at the same time.
The study was published in the journal Precision Clinical Medicine and offers hope for millions of people living with hypertension.
Using data from the UK Biobank, researchers followed more than 70,000 people with high blood pressure and over 224,000 without it for nearly 14 years. They looked at how managing eight key health risks influenced the likelihood of dying before the age of 80, which the researchers defined as premature death.
The eight risk factors they evaluated were: blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind), blood sugar, kidney function, smoking habits, and physical activity levels.
The study found that people with high blood pressure who had four or more of these factors under control had no higher risk of dying early than people without high blood pressure.
Dr. Lu Qi, the lead author and a professor at Tulane University’s School of Public Health, explained that treating high blood pressure on its own is not enough.
“Our study shows that controlling blood pressure is not the only way to treat hypertensive patients, because high blood pressure can affect these other factors,” said Dr. Qi. “By addressing the individual risk factors, we can help prevent early death for those with hypertension.”
High blood pressure, which is defined as a reading of 130 mmHg or higher, is the top preventable risk factor for early death around the world. While blood pressure medications help, this new research shows that broader lifestyle and health changes are key to survival.
The results were striking. For each additional risk factor that was controlled, the risk of dying early fell by 13%. The risk of dying early from cancer dropped by 12%, and the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease—such as heart attack or stroke—fell by 21%.
Even better results were seen in people who had seven or more risk factors under control. In this group, the risk of dying early was 40% lower, the risk of dying from cancer was 39% lower, and the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was 53% lower.
This study is the first of its kind to show that managing multiple risk factors can completely erase the added risk of early death associated with high blood pressure.
However, the study also found that only 7% of people with hypertension had seven or more of the eight risk factors under control. This points to a major gap—and a big opportunity—for prevention and better care.
The researchers emphasize the importance of personalized, well-rounded care. Instead of only prescribing blood pressure medication, doctors should work with patients to help them improve other parts of their health too—like staying active, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.
The message is clear: managing high blood pressure is important, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Taking steps to improve overall health through simple, everyday changes could make a big difference in how long people live.
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