Dr Venkatesh is Chennai’s First Interventional Nephrologist experienced in the area of kidney disease, hypertension, renal transplant and dialysis. Top ranker in DM Nephrology.

Everyone with high blood pressure is advised to make healthy lifestyle changes.

Whether medicine is also recommended depends on your blood pressure reading and your risk of developing problems such as heart attacks or strokes.

Your doctor will carry out some blood and urine tests, and ask questions about your health to determine your risk of other problems:

• if your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90mmHg (or 135/85mmHg at home), but your risk of other problems is low – you’ll be advised to make some changes to your lifestyle
• if your blood pressure is consistently above 140/90mmHg (or 135/85mmHg at home) and your risk of other problems is high – you’ll be offered medicine to lower your blood pressure, in addition to lifestyle changes
• if your blood pressure is consistently above 160/100mmHg – you’ll be offered medicine to lower your blood pressure, in addition to lifestyle changes