A new study has said that people with hypertension who follow a weight-loss diet or use medication called orlistat, could reduce their weight and blood pressure as well.
This study is a meta-analysis of previously published studies that were conducted by researchers at the Medical University of Graz, Australia. This study was led by Dr.Karl Horvath.
They performed a meta-analysis of 48 articles that were published before March 2007. For this they analyzed weight-loss in patients with hypertension.
Around 28 of the studies assessed diet, while 10 focused on medications for weight loss, including five which evaluated orlistat and five which assessed sibutramine.
The researchers then found that dieting and medication did indeed lower blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure. The reduction in blood pressure was higher in patients who were treated with weight loss diets or orlistat.
“A reduction in body weight of approximately 4 kilograms [8.8 pounds] was necessary to achieve a reduction of approximately 6 milligrams of mercury in systolic blood pressure with dietary treatment and of approximately 2.5 milligrams of mercury with orlistat,” the authors added.
However, the sibutramine treatment did not lower the overall blood pressure and only appeared to increase systolic blood pressure.