Meds, surgery may help obesity-related high blood pressure if diet, exercise fall short

Being overweight or having obesity, weight that is higher than what is considered healthy for an individual's height, is a major risk factor for high blood pressure. A healthy diet, more physical activity and less sedentary time are recommended to reduce blood pressure for people who are overweight or have obesity; however, evidence of long-term weight loss and sustained blood pressure reductions from these lifestyle changes is limited. New weight-loss medications and bariatric surgery have shown benefits in both long-term weight loss and improved blood pressure, which can reduce the long-term, negative impact of high blood pressure on organ damage.