Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) considered hypertension or high blood pressure a global public health problem (World Health Organization, 2013). Not only does hypertension affect more than 1 billion people worldwide, but in the United States alone, approximately 76.4 million Americans over the age of 20, or approximately 1 in 3 adults, suffer from hypertension (AHA, 2012). This increasing health condition occurs when an individual's blood pressure when the heart beats (systolic) is above 140 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and blood pressure when the heart relaxes (diastolic) is at or above 90 mm Hg (AHA, 2012) . The higher the blood pressure, the greater the force used to pump blood from the heart to the arteries, which causes numerous health problems (AHA, 2012). For example, the increased force stretches blood vessels, which can lead to tears and ruptures (AHA, 2012). This can also form blood clots that can prevent blood from reaching other parts of the body, causing overwork for other organs, especially the heart (AHA, 2012). Unfortunately, hypertension is also known as a “silent killer” as it does not cause any symptoms (World Health Organization, 2013). If left untreated, hypertension can lead to cardiovascular disease and other fatal health consequences, such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure (World Health Organization, 2013). In fact, the WHO estimates that hypertension is responsible for 9.4 million deaths each year (World Health Organization, 2013). High blood pressure can occur in anyone except according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI, 2012). Blood pressure tends to increase with age, so older individuals tend to be the population most affected by hypertension (NHLBI, 2012). In…half of the document…they not only recommend and educate their patients, but include patients in their treatment plan to help them manage hypertension (World Health Organization, 2013). In this paper, alternative treatments to medicine and aerobic exercise will be considered to compare which is more effective in reducing blood pressure and managing hypertension. Specifically, Tai Chi exercises and acupuncture will be used to compare the health outcomes of adults aged 60 and older with hypertension. Studies on acupuncture treatments for hypertensive older adults will be examined first and then compared with studies conducted on the use of Tai Chi exercises for hypertension. Health outcome measures will include systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements and observational studies indicating decreased blood pressure in hypertensive older adults.