High Blood Pressure on Increase Among American Women

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Even when the problem is detected and hypertension medication is prescribed, "patients need to take the medicine on a regular basis, and simply fail to do so," Jones said.

Measures other than drug treatment can keep blood pressure under control, Ezzati added. "Lowering salt intake, including regulation in packaged and prepared foods, and regular testing should both be effective, as would, of course, more exercise and lower weight," he said.

"We've got to make hypertension a high priority in the treatment of patients," Jones said.

More information

The full story on high blood pressure and its control is told by the U.S. Library of Medicine.