Q: Once blood sugar or blood pressure goes up, can people really bring them back down with healthy habits, or is that something from research but not seen in real life?

A: Without lifestyle changes, blood pressure or blood sugar levels that are too high usually continue increasing to more and more harmful levels. However, if you make changes – and the sooner after you see blood sugar or blood pressure going up, the better – by adding healthy habits you can make a difference. Programs for diabetes prevention and blood pressure control have shown benefits not only in tightly controlled research settings, but also in actual community settings. In fact, a few studies following people after participation in programs aimed at making health changes show that these health benefits last even 10 years afterward. Weight loss seems to be a key factor in these positive changes for people who are overweight. In some cases, obese participants who lost seven to fourteen pounds and walked regularly reduced fasting blood sugar by about four percent and blood pressure by about 5 to 15 percent. These results may sound small, but they are enough to make a difference in health risk. Consider these small but important improvements as motivators as these changes can continue and bring more and more impact. For some people, once changes in blood sugar and blood pressure begin, they may not be able to get back to normal levels, but weight loss, daily physical activity and healthier food choices can still provide health benefits, such as decreased inflammation and other risk factors for heart disease and cancer. So if your check-up shows unhealthy elevations, don't delay in finding options available in your community to learn new lifestyle habits that you can fit in your life.