For some people the answer is a clear yes, but for most it probably makes very little difference. The best way to know how sensitive your blood pressure is to salt intake is to decrease your salt intake and check your blood pressure. While salt intake often has little impact, losing 5-15 pounds of excess weight often has a large impact on your blood pressure. Exercise, eating nutritious foods, limiting or avoiding alcohol, and losing excess weight are very important for maintaining good health and controlling high blood pressure. If your family doctor has prescribed medication for you high blood pressure, taking your medicine consistently every day is crucial. Finally, quitting smoking has been shown to lower your blood pressure in minutes.