It is our experience that about 50% of people with high blood pressure find that it improves or becomes normal when they simply go onto an elimination diet. If this happens, it is important to monitor BP carefully, and to adjust drug dosages in collaboration with your GP or specialist; this effect plus medication could amount to an overdose.
Heart disease in general is strongly influenced by nutritional factors, and may respond to diet and supplementation. One of the risk factors whose importance is only now becoming appreciated is an amino acid called Homocysteine. High levels of this occur in most people with early-onset heart disease [as well as in arthritis and some other degenerative diseases], and can respond to the right nutritional supplements. Cholesterol levels are also influenced by nutrition, but bear in mind that this is far more complicated than simply eating less fat!
Many nutrients are important in preventing or treating heart disease; Magnesium deficiency, for instance, appears to aggravate every aspect - coronary artery disease, stroke, blood pressure, diabetes. Essential fatty acids are very important - in fact they are the reason why animal fats can be bad for you.
In general you will do no harm by just taking supplements yourself, except that you cannot easily find out what is important for you. Also, some nutrients such as Vitamin E have to be started slowly, as they could lower blood pressure too quickly or have other dramatic effects.