Stop ignoring blood pressure medicines

Stop ignoring blood pressure medicines: Heart surgeon shares why only relying on healthy lifestyle may not be enough

Stop ignoring blood pressure medicines: Heart surgeon shares why only relying on healthy lifestyle may not be enough

Taking medicines is not a shortcoming! Dr London recounts how a woman trying to manage blood pressure through healthy choices ended up on the operating table.

Published on: Apr 29, 2026 1:15 PM IST By Eshana Saha Share via Copy link As we grow older, the body often begins to reveal the slow build-up of long-term conditions like high blood pressure – issues that don’t always come with obvious warning signs but can quietly increase health risks over time. When these conditions are diagnosed, and doctors recommend medication, it’s not just a precaution – it’s a crucial part of managing that risk. Read more to find out why you shouldn't ignore prescribed blood pressure medications! (Unsplash) Also Read | Electrolytes for rehydration: Heart surgeon with 25 years of experience shares who needs them and who should avoid While adopting healthier habits like eating well, exercising, and prioritising sleep is essential, relying on lifestyle changes alone may not always be enough. In many cases, it’s the combination of consistent healthy choices and prescribed treatment that offers the most effective protection. Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with over 25 years of experience, is highlighting the importance of not sidelining prescribed medications – even when you’re committed to a healthy lifestyle. In an Instagram video shared on April 28, he recounts the case of a patient who relied heavily on lifestyle modifications to manage high blood pressure. Despite her efforts, those measures ultimately fell short, culminating in a serious cardiac emergency. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jeremy London, MD (@drjeremylondon)

Can you manage hypertension through lifestyle changes?

Dr London shares the case of a patient in her mid-40s who, by all outward measures, was in excellent health. She was disciplined about her lifestyle – maintaining a strict diet, exercising consistently, and making sleep a priority. Yet, despite these healthy habits, she had one underlying issue: high blood pressure, for which she had been prescribed a low-dose medication. She was committed to managing her blood pressure through healthy lifestyle choices – a commendable approach. But the question remained: was that alone enough? Dr London recounts, “She was determined to control her blood pressure with lifestyle choices, which is great. However, one morning she woke up with changes in her vision and a tearing pain between her shoulder blades. She went to the emergency room and was found to have dangerously high blood pressure and an aortic dissection, which is a tear in the main artery as it leaves your heart, largely due to uncontrolled hypertension or high blood pressure.”

The power of medication and healthy lifestyle

Following the cardiac emergency, the surgeon recalls rushing her into the operating theatre for an urgent procedure. She recovered remarkably well and was discharged soon after – her strong baseline health clearly working in her favour. But while her lifestyle supported her recovery, it hadn’t been enough to keep her hypertension in check. Dr London notes, “I took her to the operating room, did an emergent operation and she did remarkably well, went home in like three days. Why? Because of her lifestyle choices, she was so resilient. But in this case, her lifestyle choices were not enough to control her blood pressure. Now, does that mean if she had increased her medications and followed a different plan that the outcome would have been different? Maybe, maybe not.”

Taking medicines is not failure

For many people, being prescribed medication for long-term conditions like high blood pressure can feel like a personal shortcoming – as though they’ve failed to manage their health through lifestyle alone. But Dr London emphasises that this mindset is misplaced. Taking medication is not a failure; it is a proactive strategy to reduce risk. He stresses, “What you need to understand is we need to be willing to pull all of the levers that are available to us. And of course, lifestyle choices are foundational, but they're not always adequate. And taking medications is not a failure. It's a strategy. It's risk reduction. It's using all the tools we have available to protect our health for the future.” When used alongside healthy habits, it becomes part of a comprehensive approach to protecting your heart and overall well-being. When faced with a condition that requires careful management, being open to all effective options isn’t giving up – it’s taking control. The heart surgeon concludes, “Lifestyle choices are absolutely foundational and should be the first lever we pull. However, sometimes lifestyle choices alone aren’t enough. Taking medication doesn’t mean you have failed. This isn’t lifestyle modification versus medications. This is lifestyle modification and, when necessary, medications in tandem. It’s about figuring out what risk strategy works best for you.” Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Eshana Saha Eshana Saha is a fresh face in lifestyle and cultural journalism, bringing a refined, multidisciplinary perspective to the intersection of entertainment, fashion and holistic wellbeing. With less than a year of professional experience, she has quickly adapted to high-pressure editorial environments and currently works full-time with HT Media. Prior to this, she interned for nearly six months with Hindustan Times’ entertainment and lifestyle vertical, where she gained hands-on experience in digital reporting, trend analysis and editorial storytelling. Based in New Delhi, Eshana specialises in comprehensive coverage of major cultural moments — from international film press tours to the curated aesthetics of global fashion showcases, award shows and music-centred events. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from St Xavier’s University, Kolkata, and a Master’s degree in English from the University of Delhi, equipping her with a strong academic foundation and a keen ability to deconstruct complex cultural trends into clear, high-impact narratives. Beyond the red carpet, Eshana has developed a growing focus on health and wellbeing reporting. She bridges the gap between celebrity-driven trends and practical, evidence-informed lifestyle advice, ensuring her work remains both aspirational and grounded in editorial rigour. She has extensively covered the health implications of Delhi’s air pollution crisis, while also playing a key role in amplifying expert-led insights on women’s health and mental wellbeing, helping translate complex medical perspectives into informed, impactful public awareness. An artist at heart, she explores multiple creative forms — from visual arts and music to culinary experiments — and brings a creative’s eye for nuance, texture and detail to every story. Whether analysing runway dynamics or examining emerging wellness movements, she remains committed to accuracy and the highest standards of contemporary journalistic ethics.Read More Hypertension Blood Pressure Emergency Surgery Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.

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As we grow older, the body often begins to reveal the slow build-up of long-term conditions like high blood pressure – issues that don’t always come with obvious warning signs but can quietly increase health risks over time. When these conditions are diagnosed, and doctors recommend medication, it’s not just a precaution – it’s a crucial part of managing that risk.

Also Read | Electrolytes for rehydration: Heart surgeon with 25 years of experience shares who needs them and who should avoid

While adopting healthier habits like eating well, exercising, and prioritising sleep is essential, relying on lifestyle changes alone may not always be enough. In many cases, it’s the combination of consistent healthy choices and prescribed treatment that offers the most effective protection.

Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with over 25 years of experience, is highlighting the importance of not sidelining prescribed medications – even when you’re committed to a healthy lifestyle. In an Instagram video shared on April 28, he recounts the case of a patient who relied heavily on lifestyle modifications to manage high blood pressure. Despite her efforts, those measures ultimately fell short, culminating in a serious cardiac emergency.

Dr London recounts, “She was determined to control her blood pressure with lifestyle choices, which is great. However, one morning she woke up with changes in her vision and a tearing pain between her shoulder blades. She went to the emergency room and was found to have dangerously high blood pressure and an aortic dissection, which is a tear in the main artery as it leaves your heart, largely due to uncontrolled hypertension or high blood pressure.”

Dr London notes, “I took her to the operating room, did an emergent operation and she did remarkably well, went home in like three days. Why? Because of her lifestyle choices, she was so resilient. But in this case, her lifestyle choices were not enough to control her blood pressure. Now, does that mean if she had increased her medications and followed a different plan that the outcome would have been different? Maybe, maybe not.”

He stresses, “What you need to understand is we need to be willing to pull all of the levers that are available to us. And of course, lifestyle choices are foundational, but they're not always adequate. And taking medications is not a failure. It's a strategy. It's risk reduction. It's using all the tools we have available to protect our health for the future.”

When used alongside healthy habits, it becomes part of a comprehensive approach to protecting your heart and overall well-being. When faced with a condition that requires careful management, being open to all effective options isn’t giving up – it’s taking control.

The heart surgeon concludes, “Lifestyle choices are absolutely foundational and should be the first lever we pull. However, sometimes lifestyle choices alone aren’t enough. Taking medication doesn’t mean you have failed. This isn’t lifestyle modification versus medications. This is lifestyle modification and, when necessary, medications in tandem. It’s about figuring out what risk strategy works best for you.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

Source: HindustanTimes
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