Hi ,

Have you ever wondered whether losing weight could reduce your blood pressure medication? The short answer is: it can. But an important part of that story often gets left out.

But first, how are you doing? Alberta has had quite the weather swing lately. A few days ago, it felt almost like an early spring, and now winter has returned with a reminder that it is not quite done with us yet. I hope you are staying warm.....or cool, depending on where in the world you are.

The Good News First

Research confirms what many patients and physicians have observed: losing weight can significantly lower blood pressure.

A 2023 study found that weight loss was associated with reductions of approximately 5.8 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and 3.3 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure when measured in a clinic. Ambulatory blood pressure — the kind measured over 24 hours during normal daily activity, showed even larger reductions.

What does this mean for your health?

To put that in perspective: a sustained 5 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure is associated with roughly a 10% reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events, including stroke and heart failure. That is not a small number.

But There Is a Catch

Most studies on weight loss and blood pressure follow participants for less than a year. We know far less about what happens at the two-, three-, or five-year mark, which is precisely where real life tends to unfold.

Here is what the longer-term data tell us: when weight loss is maintained, blood pressure benefits tend to persist. When weight is regained, blood pressure tends to drift back toward where it started.

Weight regain is common. That is not a moral failing — it reflects the complexity of body weight regulation. But it does have consequences for blood pressure that often go unnoticed.

A Story Worth Thinking About

A patient came to see me after working hard to lose 10 kilograms. Her blood pressure had dropped to below 120/80, and her physician, appropriately, reduced her medication. She felt well. Life moved forward.

Three years later, some of the weight had returned. A new job, moving to another city — basically, life happened the way it does. Her blood pressure had climbed up again. But no one had checked it, because she felt fine and blood pressure rarely announces itself with symptoms.

This is not uncommon.

What This Means Practically

Weight loss is very effective for lowering blood pressure and may allow for a reduction in medication under physician guidance. That is worth celebrating.

But it comes with a responsibility: blood pressure monitoring cannot stop just because weight loss has been achieved.

If you have reduced or stopped blood pressure medications after weight loss, please make sure you are checking your blood pressure regularly. A home BP monitor or a Hilo device works well.

Blood pressure is one of the most modifiable risk factors for heart disease, stroke and dementia, and we have good treatment options for it.  

Best regards,

Shabnam

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Dr. Shabnam Das Kar, MD

Functional Medicine Doctor

Tiny Habits Coach

Email: [email protected]

Reference

Yang, Shijie, et al. "Effect of weight loss on blood pressure changes in overweight patients: a systematic review and meta‐analysis." The Journal of Clinical Hypertension 25.5 (2023): 404-415.