A study released by the University of Western Ontario suggests that a simpler therapy may be more beneficial for patients who have hypertension.

Researchers followed more than 2,000 hypertensive patients in southwestern Ontario, Canada and found that simpler treatments may have a similar effect as following national guidelines, which the study argues can be knotty to navigate.

Dr. Ross D. Feldman explained that with "hundreds of recommendations on how to manage high blood pressure," patients should consider going to their family physician and opt for treatment that "makes both the patients’ and doctors’ lives easier."

Lowering blood pressure may have significant health benefits, as it may reduce the risk of stroke by 40 percent and heart attack by up to 25 percent, dependent on other lifestyle and genetic factors.

Those who are looking for alternative ways to lower blood pressure may consider adding more potassium, either through a nutritional supplement or food sources like bananas, as a University of Texas study linked low levels of the nutrient to hypertension.