After starting blood pressure medication, most let other lifestyle changes slide 

Although physicians recommend that those who take blood pressure medications also keep up with lifestyle changes such as eating healthily and exercising, a large new study suggests that those who start on the drugs may not be adhering to the other advice. Looking at data from a Finnish cohort of nearly 9,000 patients over the age of 40 who started BP treatment, scientists found that these individuals were 82% more likely to become obese and 8% more likely to be physically inactive than those not on treatment. Still, these people experienced a decline in their average alcohol consumption and were 26% more likely to quit smoking. Doctors ought to continue to emphasize the importance of lifestyle changes even as people start taking BP medication, the authors suggest.