Faculty mentor/PI email address
hock@rowan.edu
Keywords
Hypertension, DASH diet, cardiovascular health, anti-hypertensives, medication
Date of Presentation
5-6-2026 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
Hypertension remains a leading global cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, affecting over one billion individuals worldwide. While pharmacologic therapy remains the standard of care, growing evidence supports the role of lifestyle modification as an effective strategy for hypertension control. This literature review evaluates the effectiveness of dietary interventions and physical exercise versus standard antihypertensive medication regimens in adults with chronic hypertension. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search of PubMed and Embase (2015–2025) identified 5,178 citations, with 12 systematic reviews and meta-analyses meeting inclusion criteria. Across studies, structured exercise and dietary interventions consistently reduced systolic blood pressure by approximately 3–12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2–6 mmHg. The DASH diet proved reductions up to 11.4 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and 5.5 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, while moderate intensity aerobic and resistance training produced reductions similar to pharmacologic therapy in hypertensive patients. Antihypertensive medications reduced SBP by approximately 8.8 mmHg overall, but exercise achieved similar reductions among patients with established hypertension. Despite differences in studies and flawed short term follow up in many studies, findings support lifestyle modification as a clinically meaningful and cost-effective component of hypertension management. Combined pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches may provide the greatest long-term benefit.
Disciplines
Cardiovascular Diseases | Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition | Medicine and Health Sciences
The Impact of diet modification and physical exercise on chronic HTN outcomes compared to typical prescription treatment regimen
Hypertension remains a leading global cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, affecting over one billion individuals worldwide. While pharmacologic therapy remains the standard of care, growing evidence supports the role of lifestyle modification as an effective strategy for hypertension control. This literature review evaluates the effectiveness of dietary interventions and physical exercise versus standard antihypertensive medication regimens in adults with chronic hypertension. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search of PubMed and Embase (2015–2025) identified 5,178 citations, with 12 systematic reviews and meta-analyses meeting inclusion criteria. Across studies, structured exercise and dietary interventions consistently reduced systolic blood pressure by approximately 3–12 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2–6 mmHg. The DASH diet proved reductions up to 11.4 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and 5.5 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, while moderate intensity aerobic and resistance training produced reductions similar to pharmacologic therapy in hypertensive patients. Antihypertensive medications reduced SBP by approximately 8.8 mmHg overall, but exercise achieved similar reductions among patients with established hypertension. Despite differences in studies and flawed short term follow up in many studies, findings support lifestyle modification as a clinically meaningful and cost-effective component of hypertension management. Combined pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches may provide the greatest long-term benefit.