High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common health issue that affects millions of people. It happens when the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries is too strong.
If this pressure stays high over time, it can damage your heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Most people manage high blood pressure by eating healthy foods, staying active, reducing stress, and taking medicine. But for some people, even when they follow these steps and take multiple medicines, their blood pressure stays high. This condition is called resistant hypertension.
Resistant hypertension means that your blood pressure is not going down, even though you are taking at least three types of blood pressure medicine, including a diuretic (also known as a water pill). It might be a sign that something else is causing the problem or that your current treatments aren’t working well enough.
The first step doctors take is to make sure the diagnosis is correct. Sometimes, people only have high blood pressure when they are at the doctor’s office because they feel nervous.
This is called “white coat hypertension.” Also, if blood pressure is measured the wrong way or if someone forgets to take their medicine regularly, it can look like their blood pressure is uncontrolled when that might not be true.
If resistant hypertension is real, doctors will look for possible causes. One common issue is eating too much salt. Salt can make the body hold onto extra fluid, which raises blood pressure. Even a small cut in salt can help. Regular physical activity is also very helpful. Exercise makes the heart stronger and helps blood vessels stay healthy.
Other health problems can affect blood pressure too. Being overweight, having kidney disease, or suffering from sleep apnea can all make it harder to control blood pressure.
For example, people with sleep apnea often stop breathing for short times during sleep. Using a breathing machine called a CPAP at night can help improve both sleep and blood pressure.
When it comes to medicine, sometimes doctors need to adjust the types or doses. One drug that works well for many people with resistant hypertension is spironolactone, a type of water pill that helps the body get rid of extra salt and water.
If lifestyle changes and medicine still don’t work, there are newer treatments. One of them is called renal denervation. This is a procedure where doctors use radio waves to calm down the nerves near the kidneys.
These nerves can affect blood pressure. Some studies show that this method can help people whose blood pressure didn’t improve with other treatments.
It’s very important to treat resistant hypertension because if left untreated, it can lead to serious problems like heart attacks, strokes, or kidney damage. That’s why it’s important to keep working with your doctor to find the right treatment plan.
In short, if your blood pressure is still high even after taking medicine, don’t give up. There are many ways to manage it. With the right support, better habits, and possibly newer treatments, you can protect your heart and live a healthier life.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about How to eat your way to healthy blood pressure and results showing that Modified traditional Chinese cuisine can lower blood pressure.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
