Brief Answer: Three readings are needed Detailed Answer: Hi Thanks for posting your query on HealthcareMagic. A blood pressure reading of 147/87 is stage 1 hypertension. But the diagnosis of hypertension is made if the readings are consistently high on three different occasions. A single high reading is not an indication for medicines. Secondly if you have gotten the diagnosis of hypertension, then you should get tested to rule out causes of hypertension. If a cause is found and treated, then you do not need medicines. Thirdly diet and exercise are mainstay for taking care of hypertension. Your blood pressure is only slightly higher than the goal of 140 or 90. It means that when we treat someone with hypertension, we keep the aim of lowering the BP to less than 140 or 90. Since high BP is associated with organ damage, it is recommended to take medicines. Now coming to your specific question, yes diet and exercise can be tried to lower BP. I would suggest the following lifestyle changes: - Omit high calorie foods like cheese, butter, ghee, cream ,etc - Reduce salt, sugar and oil content in your food - Drink cleaner water - Exercise daily for atleast 20 min a day. The exercise should be a mix of aerobic, muscle strengthening and stretching exercises. Do not overexert at any single exercise - Include more fruits and vegetables in your diet - Include more garlic in your diet Hope it helps Dr Vaishalee

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