About 1 systolic point per kilogram: a meta-analysis of 25 trials found weight loss lowered blood pressure by roughly 1.05 mmHg systolic and 0.92 diastolic per kilogram, with 5 kg of loss averaging a 4.4-point systolic drop.
Losses above 5 kg did better, around 6.6 systolic and 5.1 diastolic points. Put in medication terms: that 5-point range is comparable to one standard blood pressure pill, and at the population level it moves stroke and heart attack rates. The fine print matters. The effect is biggest in heavier people with higher starting pressure, it fades if the weight returns, and it adds to salt reduction, exercise, and medication rather than substituting for them. A useful bonus: weight loss improves obstructive sleep apnea, one of the most common hidden drivers of resistant hypertension. The sane target is 5 to 10% of body weight, held off long-term; a modest loss maintained beats a dramatic loss that rebounds, because pressure follows the weight back up. If your pressure is high and your weight is high, this is the single lifestyle change with the most predictable payoff per unit of effort.
What to do
Common questions
How much does losing weight lower blood pressure?
The cleanest number comes from a meta-analysis of 25 randomized trials covering nearly 5,000 people: each kilogram of weight lost lowered blood pressure by about 1 mmHg systolic and 0.9 diastolic. An average loss of about 5 kg (11 pounds) translated to drops of roughly 4.4 systolic and 3.6 diastolic points, and people losing more than 5 kg saw bigger falls, around 6.6 systolic and 5.1 diastolic. Context makes those numbers more impressive than they look: a 5-point systolic drop is in the range of what one blood pressure medication delivers, and population-wide, drops of that size meaningfully cut stroke and heart attack rates. The effect is not perfectly linear and it is biggest in people who start heavier with higher pressure, and regaining the weight restores the pressure, which is why the maintenance plan matters more than the diet you pick. Weight loss also stacks: it adds to the effects of salt reduction, exercise, and medication rather than replacing them, and it improves sleep apnea, one of the hidden drivers of stubborn hypertension. The realistic target that changes outcomes: 5 to 10% of body weight, held off, beats any ambitious number that rebounds.