How to Lower Diastolic Blood Pressure
Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD
If your diastolic blood pressure is too high, you may be able to lower it. The diastolic blood pressure (the lower number of two blood pressure measures, or the 80 in 120/80) is the force exerted on your blood vessels between heartbeats. The upper number, systolic blood pressure, measures the force exerted during a heartbeat.
Hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure) typically involves elevations in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. However, some people have "isolated" diastolic hypertension, for which the systolic pressure is relatively normal while the diastolic pressure is elevated.
This article looks at how to lower your diastolic blood pressure, why this number is important, and how to check at home. It explains how medications, a healthy diet, and exercise and other lifestyle changes can help you to improve your diastolic blood pressure.
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Lifestyle Changes
There are steps you can take to lower your diastolic blood pressure through a healthy lifestyle. The benefits of a healthy diet, improved sleep, smoking cessation, exercise, and stress management extend beyond your blood pressure to overall health and quality of life.
These lifestyle changes can work alongside of any needed medication to treat blood pressure.
Exercising
Routine exercise can help to improve diastolic blood pressure, with traditional aerobic exercise still the recommended choice. However, isometric training appears to offer significant benefits, and can be done safely by people with mobility challenges or who have had recent injury or surgery.
Other exercise options to improve blood pressure include:
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Dynamic resistance training
Combined training (aerobics with weight lifting or other resistance training)
One study found that exercise may lower blood pressure by five to eight points. About 30 minutes of low-impact exercise can also bring down blood pressure. Try walking, biking, or water aerobics.
Eating a Healthy Diet
Focusing on a heart-healthy diet can help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of high blood pressure. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is designed to help you enjoy nutritious, heart-healthy meals that limit high-salt and processed foods.
The Mediterranean diet is another option that focused on fresh, healthy foods while limiting trans and saturated fats in favor of olive oil. It reduces red meat, salt, and excessive sugar intake. Choose heart-healthy foods and read food labels. A low-sugar, low-carb diet also helps you maintain a healthy weight.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
High weight or obesity increases your risk of hypertension. Losing up to 10 pounds can help lower your blood pressure.
Cutting Back on Caffeine
When you limit your coffee drinking (or reduce other sources of caffeine), there can be an overall blood pressure benefit. People who use energy drinks like Red Bull experience increases in diastolic pressure as well as their systolic pressure. These impacts occur in children, too.
Some studies have found no direct caffeine impacts to the diastolic pressure but do find improvements in systolic and mean blood pressure when cutting back. More research is needed to understand caffeine impacts.
Takeaway
A 16-ounce energy drink contains anywhere from 70 to 240 milligrams (mg) of caffeine on average. About 400 mg per day is considered safe for most adults, according to the Food and Drug Administration, but the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against their use by kids or teens.
Quitting Smoking
Smoking tobacco changes the structure and function of your heart and the vessels that make up your cardiovascular system. It's a response to hundreds of chemicals inhaled, not just tobacco.
Secondhand smoke, and e-cigarettes and vaping, also should be reduced or eliminated to protect against high blood pressure. Smoking cessation resources are available to help you quit, and your healthcare provider can discuss medication and other options to boost your chance of success.
Quitting smoking reduces your risk of heart diseases, such as heart attack and stroke. Some studies suggest that the weight gain that occurs in many people who quit smoking can present a new risk for diastolic high blood pressure, though, so weight management is recommended.
Takeaway
Systolic readings are generally considered more important in hypertension (high blood pressure). But researchers are learning more about the diastolic number and its link to heart attacks and strokes.
Limiting Pollution Exposure
Air quality and levels of particulate matter are increasingly associated with the development of specific diseases, including heart health and high blood pressure. Experts suggest you:
Walk or use public transportation to improve overall air quality where you live
Time your activities to limit exposure when the air quality index is poor
Choose outdoor exercise locations away from busy roads and traffic
Consider indoor air quality in terms of cooking, heating, and air filter use
Reducing Alcohol Intake
One study found limiting or eliminating alcohol consumption can reduce systolic blood pressure, while excess alcohol raises it. But even people with healthy blood pressure levels can see increases with their alcohol use.
An analysis of more than 20,000 people from seven studies found that about 12 grams of alcohol per day (about 5 ounces of wine, but less than one beer) had higher blood pressure than those who did not use alcohol. The effect was even stronger and increased the more that a person used alcohol.
Getting Quality Sleep
Healthy sleep, without disruptions for seven to eight hours, has been linked to lower risks of high blood pressure in some studies. In fact, if you take daytime naps due to poor sleep quality, you may have a 12% higher chance of a high blood pressure diagnosis.
Lifestyle changes are key to improving sleep hygiene, keeping mind that poor sleep habits and quality also contribute to other heart health issues like sleep apnea and diabetes. Try to assess your environmental conditions, your screen time before sleep, and other factors you can change.
Managing Stress
Stress increases blood pressure, and relaxation lowers it. Reducing stress levels or finding stress-relieving activities (sitting quietly, meditating, exercising, or reading) can help.
Some recommended strategies for managing stress to prevent high blood pressure include:
Yoga (tai chi may offer benefits, too)
Meditation
Mindfulness practices, like gratitude
Giving Acupuncture a Try
There is some evidence that acupuncture can improve high blood pressure, with studies done in a range of populations or focused on specific health conditions. A 2024 study that included data on 66 acupoints in the body found those most often used for hypertension were Tai-chong (LR3), Qu-chi (LI11), Zu-san-li (ST36), Feng-chi (GB20), and He-gu (LI4).
Some studies find acupuncture used along with medication works better than drugs alone to control high blood pressure, but more research is needed. Talk with your healthcare provider about the option.
Eating More Potassium
Potassium intake is key to keeping a healthy tone in your body's blood vessels. This benefit helps to lower blood pressure, with a daily value of 4.7 grams per day for adults in the United States.
The DASH diet helps to boost potassium intake, with potassium-rich foods including banana, avocado, and white beans. Be aware that potassium can have adverse effects in people with certain health conditions, so talk about your diet plans with a healthcare provider before you begin.
Taking Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements
Omega-3 fatty acids are known to have anti-inflammatory properties and offer heart health benefits, like preventing heart attack. A 2022 analysis of 71 studies, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found benefits in reducing high blood pressure when taking omega-3.
More study is needed to understand how a specific dose may help to improve systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, the optimal dose appears to be between 2 and 3 grams per day.
Taking Garlic Supplements
A number of studies suggest a benefit from garlic in reducing the risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease. It's believed it may help to relax blood vessel walls and help to prevent high cholesterol.
Garlic's anti-oxidant properties also may help to reduce diastolic blood pressure. Research studies report that garlic shows promise in boosting heart health but more study is needed.
Related: 10 Best Supplements for High Blood Pressure
Using Probiotics
The emerging science shows a relationship between digestive health and the gut microbiome, and the potential for developing high blood pressure. This makes the use of probiotics (yogurt, high-fiber fruits, and more) important in managing blood pressure, though more research is needed to understand the reasons why.
Related: Prebiotic vs. Probiotic vs. Postbiotic: Chart and Gut Facts
What Medications Lower Diastolic Blood Pressure?
Common medications lower diastolic blood pressure (and systolic blood pressure, as well).
Diuretics
Diuretics (water pills) reduce fluid in your blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. Examples include:
Microzide (hydrochlorothiazide)
Lasix (furosemide)
Aldactone (spironolactone)
Beta-Blockers
Make the heart beat more slowly and with less force. Some beta-blocker medication includes:
Lopressor (metoprolol tartrate)
Tenormin (atenolol)
Levatol (penbutolol sulfate)
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors
ACE inhibitors relax blood vessels by lowering the production of the angiotensin II enzyme. Examples include:
Lotensin (benazepril hydrochloride)
Altace (ramipril)
Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs)
ARBs relax blood vessels by blocking the activity of the angiotensin II enzyme. Medications include:
Avapro (irbesartan)
Atacand (candesartan)
Micardis (telmisartan)
Calcium Channel Blockers
Calcium channel blockers relax blood vessels by lowering the rate of calcium entering blood-vessel walls. Some examples include:
Norvasc (amlopidine besylate)
Vasocor (bepridil)
Cardene SR (nicardipine)
Combination blood-pressure medications may include drugs from different classes.
How to Check Blood Pressure At Home
It’s a good idea to regularly check your blood pressure at home, especially if you have hypertension, a recent high reading, or a family history of high blood pressure or heart disease.
You can buy a blood pressure cuff at a drug store or online. When you have a cuff, you need to know how to prepare for testing your blood pressure:
Don’t exercise, smoke, or drink a caffeinated beverage for half an hour before your test.
Empty your bladder and sit quietly for five minutes before checking.
Remove any clothing that covers the area where you’ll place the cuff.
Sit upright in a firm chair and place your feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed.
Put your arm on a table or other flat surface, with your upper arm at heart level.
Check the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and how to get an accurate reading. Be sure to check at the same time(s) every day because blood pressure has natural fluctuations. Take two or three readings one minute apart and record the results.
Related: The 14 Best Blood Pressure Monitors to Use At Home, Tested and Reviewed
How Long Does It Take to Get Diastolic Blood Pressure Down?
Deep breathing, a hot bath, and relaxation techniques may lower your diastolic blood pressure in a few hours. Exercise, quality sleep, and a healthy diet may give you results overnight or in a few days. Lifestyle changes and medications may take a few weeks to take effect.
Can Drinking Water Lower Diastolic Pressure?
A 2020 study from Japan suggests that drinking water at levels to ensure hydration may lower blood pressure. Although the importance of hydration for other health conditions is demonstrated by other studies, more research is needed to fully understand the effects on blood pressure.
Learn More: Causes and Treatments of Hypertensive Heart Disease
How Long Does It Take to Get Diastolic Blood Pressure Down?
Deep breathing, a hot bath, and relaxation techniques may lower your diastolic blood pressure in a few hours. Exercise, quality sleep, and a healthy diet may give you results overnight or in a few days. Lifestyle changes and medications may take a few weeks to take effect.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Anyone can have a high blood pressure reading from time to time. However, extremely high blood pressure can signal a significant health crisis.
When checking blood pressure at home, make an appointment with your healthcare provider if you have consistent readings that are slightly or moderately high. Contact your healthcare provider or seek emergency medical care immediately if you're experiencing:
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Back pain
Numbness or weakness
Changes in vision
Difficulty speaking
Do not wait to see if your blood pressure comes down. Delaying treatment could have life-threatening consequences.
Takeaway
An occasional high diastolic reading likely isn’t a cause for concern. Still, let your healthcare provider know if you’ve had one or more elevated readings at home or with a different provider.
Monitor your blood pressure for changes, especially if you’ve had high readings or have been diagnosed with hypertension.
Summary
Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number. It measures the force exerted on your blood vessels in between heartbeats. Diastolic pressure can't change without the systolic pressure (the top number) also changing. You can lower your blood pressure in the short term through relaxation, quality sleep, and avoiding caffeine and processed foods. Long-term treatments include dietary changes, exercise, and medication. It's important to check your blood pressure at home, especially if you have a family history of hypertension or heart disease.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
