Some Alternatives May Cut Blood Pressure

Some alternative treatments may slightly lower blood pressure, a new report says. But the only non-drug treatment with strong, proven benefit is aerobic exercise. Those are the conclusions of an American Heart Association (AHA) review of research. It found that transcendental meditation (TM), biofeedback and guided breathing may help some people. But the effects on blood pressure were small. Other types of meditation did not lower blood pressure. Neither did yoga or acupuncture. Aerobic exercise had the strongest research support. It also lowered blood pressure more than any treatment other than medicine. The AHA recommends aerobic exercise for most people with pre-hypertension or high blood pressure. Resistance exercise that involves movement also may lower blood pressure, the report says.