Lifestyle change can affect blood pressure, but it’s not the whole story

So how much good will it do if you get more exercise, consume less salt, ramp up on potassium, eat the DASH way, give up smoking, take up meditation? Does it all add up to some impressive total that will knock your doctor’s socks off the next check-up time?

It depends a lot on where you start out. If you’re a confirmed couch potato, exercising even a little might help to bring your blood pressure down. But if you’re already a marathon runner, you’ve probably maxed out on the good that exercise can do you.

If you smoke two packs a day, quitting could make a big difference. If you’re already a nonsmoker, that option doesn’t even exist.

But it’s also really tricky to add up the effect of all these individual actions because so many of them are interconnected.

Full Article>>http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-hew-blood-pressure-interactions8-2010feb08,0,2036341.story