A new study has found that a diet low in carbohydrates is helpful in both weight loss and lowering blood pressure.

Researchers followed 146 overweight patients with a range of health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arthritis for one year. Half of the participants followed a low-carbohydrate diet and the other half followed a low-fat diet and took a prescription weight loss drug.

While both groups had significant weight loss and were able to lower their cholesterol and blood glucose levels, the group that followed the low-carb diet had significantly better improvements in blood pressure.

Researchers say 47 percent of the participants in the low-carbohydrate group had their blood pressure medication decreased or discontinued while only 21 percent of the medication plus low-fat diet group experienced a reduction in medication use.

"It’s important to know you can try a diet instead of medication and get the same weight loss results with fewer costs and potentially fewer side effects," said the study’s lead author Dr. William Yancy, Jr.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for developing heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. In addition to lifestyle changes like weight loss, supplements containing potassium, calcium, fish oil, magnesium and garlic may help prevent it.