Nonpharmacologic therapy in hypertension: from single components to overall dietary management

Improved lifestyle and dietary practices are now recognized as essential factors in the optimal management of high blood pressure. This chapter discusses the nonpharmacologic approaches that are generally recommended for hypertension treatment as well as prevention, including summaries of the evidence on which these recommendations are based. For many of these approaches, specifically dietary modifications, the evidence is strong but not yet definitive. Potential sources of the conflicting data and the lack of scientific consensus are addressed, as well as recent findings of the effects of the total diet and dietary patterns that may ultimately resolve much of the controversy regarding nonpharmacologic means of treating and preventing hypertension.