The effects of a training program for the development of hypertension knowledge and basic skills practice (HKBSP) for Thai community healthcare volunteers.

Objective: This action research used a one group pre-post test design in 75 samples and used both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study was designed to develop knowledge and basic skill practice in a hypertension program among 240 healthcare volunteers obtained as samples randomly chosen from four communities. Methods: The instrumentation employed comprised of the hypertension knowledge questionnaires, observational guide form and group discussion. All these aspects of knowledge were good quality for all volunteers in terms of discrimination =0.48  0.18, difficulty =.0.72  0.49 and reliability Kuder-Richarson 20 = 0.74 with split-half = 0.81. Results: Following participation in the program, the quantitative data were the knowledge of the volunteers was increased with statistical significance (p<.001) and which was positively correlated with the level of education, but was negatively correlated with age (r = 0.224, p<.01 and r = -0.289 respectively). The qualitative data were people’s problems, needs and preferences for eating foods high in sodium and cholesterol, forgetting or refusing to take medication, lack of awareness about the severity of the disease and no motivation to exercise especially for elderly patients. Conclusion: This program should be useful for other healthcare volunteers in monitoring, supervising and supporting the teamwork in collaboration with community network development.

The efficacy and tolerability of an angiotensin II receptor blocker, telmisartan, in Thai patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.

This open-labeled single-blinded study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of telmisartan in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension. Each patient was assigned to take a placebo for 4 weeks followed by once daily-titrated telmisartan (40-80 mg) for 8 weeks. "Office BP" and "24-hour ambulatory BP" measurements (24-h ABPM) were recorded as scheduled. Thirty-one patients (10 males: 21 females) with a mean age of 48.1 years were enrolled. The final SBP/DBP reductions of 14.6 +/- 14.2/9.9 +/- 6.2 mm Hg were obtained. Full response defined as office DBP reduction of > or = 10 mm Hg from baseline and/or DBP < 90 mm Hg was achieved in 73.3 per cent of cases. Excluding 5 cases of white coat HT diagnosed by 24-h ABPM, full response rate (DBP reduction of > or = 10 mm Hg from baseline and/or < 85 mm Hg) was 76 per cent. Trough to peak ratio and smoothness index for SBP/DBP were highly acceptable (0.75/0.76 and 0.97/1.01, respectively). There were 4 cases of adverse events (2 cases of dizziness, 1 case of headache, and 1 case of acute myocardial infarction).