Use of non-drug therapy in treating hypertension.

The high degree of risk for cardiovascular disease and the failure of medication to provide adequate protection are the chief considerations in the use of nondrug therapy of hypertension. We shall examine the effects of weight reduction, sodium restriction, exercise, and other such alternatives to blood pressure-lowering medication. If nondrug therapies can lower blood pressure, they will remove the need for drug therapy in some patients and minimize the amount of drugs needed for others.