A randomized, clinical trial has shown that a diet and exercise intervention for 4 months reduced blood pressure in adults with resistant hypertension. The intervention was also associated with improvements in baroreflexsensitivity, heart rate variability, and flow-mediated dilation, in comparison with individuals who received only one education session.

As part of the intervention, patients received instruction on the way to follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, and restricting calories and sodium to <2,300 mg/day. Patients also received 45-minute group counseling sessions every week, by a clinical psychiatrist, with emphasis on eating behaviors. Patients underwent 30- to 45-minute exercise sessions at 70%-85% of initial heart rate reserve, three times a week. A total of 90 patients received the diet and exercise intervention while 50 were assigned to the control group. The intervention group had a greater decrease in clinic systolic BP (–12.5 vs. –7.1 mmHg), diastolic BP (–5.9 vs. –3.7 mmHg), and 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP (–7.0 vs. –0.3 mmHg), compared to the control group. The findings are published in the journal Circulation… (Medscape)