New ways to lower blood pressure
Walk briskly for 40 minutes a day
That’s according to researchers from the Korea Institute of Sport Science. And you don’t have to walk for a full 40 minutes at one go; breaking it up into 10-minute blocks throughout the day will also reap you the same benefits.

Listen to music and breathe slowly  
Just half an hour a day is enough to curb mild hypertension, say researchers at Italy’s University of Florence. In their study, 28 patients were given CDs to listen to for 30 minutes per day for a month, and to take twice as long to exhale and inhale while listening to the slow tunes. Their blood pressure improved during the study, while 20 other patients who did not practice slow breathing or listen to music did not see any change in their condition.

Take an aspirin before you sleep
Taken daily, this helps to control pre-hypertension, according to a recent US study. It’s theorised that aspirin can help to slow the production of hormones and other substances in the body that cause clotting, and these processes continue when the body is resting. Also, some doctors believe medicines may be better absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract at night.

Photo: Calvin Tan