6 years ago, I was struggling with my weight and BP. I was doing a lot of stress eating, working long hours (>60/week), not exercising at all. I have a pretty strong "white coat" effect and was coming in at the start of an office call with a BP of 150/109 that would drop to 130/90. My primary was talking about starting me on medication, but about that time my work crashed and burned. I got a new job with week-ends off, only 40-50 hrs per week, and the possibility of bike commuting regularly. In spite of my family history of high BP, obesity, and stroke, that life style change has brought my weight down 30 lbs and I now have a BP of 124/78 without medication and my workload again back up at >60 hrs/week. Yes, lifestyle changes can change the measurements, but I don't kid myself that it actually changes my risk for stroke. Although I have fabulous HDL's (85) I also have alarming LDL's (174) and in spite of all the lifestyle changes, I will probably need to start Statins soon. Make the lifesyle changes so you have a chance of using cheaper, older drugs or lower doses of the new ones. It is also one thing you have control of and you can do for yourself.