Americans over the age of 60 who have high blood pressure are less likely than younger patients to get proactive, lifestyle-changing advice from their doctors. Patients between the ages of 40 and 59 were told more often to change their eating habits or reduce alcohol intake in order to help them with their blood pressure problems. The study, published in the November issue of The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, highlights the fact physicians’ advice to modify poor lifestyle behaviors in order to combat hypertension “should not be abandoned at any point,” according to the study’s lead researcher.
Patients of any age should ask their doctors about what steps they can take to manage their blood pressure.
