A study to assess the effectiveness of warm foot bath therapy on the reduction of blood pressure among hypertensive patients attending a tertiary care setting

Background: The goal of hypertension management is to keep blood pressure within normal bounds while also enhancing elderly patients’ quality of life and health. Warm foot baths are a straightforward, affordable, and effective therapy method that can be used in naturopathy to alleviate hypertension. Materials and Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental design that included two groups, the hypertensive intervention group and hypertensive control group, which was studied over 3 months between March 2020 and May 2020. The necessary ethical committee permissions with reference number VMRF/2020/037 and informed consent from all the patients included have been obtained properly before proceeding with the study. Results: Among the 100 individuals involved in the study, 53% were males and 47% were females. The mean age among the intervention group was 53.62 ± 7.26, and 52.84 ± 6.47 among the control group. The majority of the males included in the study were nonsmokers (69.8%). The mean ± standard deviation of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the intervention group during the pretest phase was 157.3 ± 13.4 and 88.1 ± 9.4, whereas, after the intervention of foot bath therapy, the measurements of SBP and DBP were reduced significantly to 133.8 ± 9.7 and 76.9 ± 7.2, which was statistically significant with a P value < 0.001. Conclusion: Warm foot bath soak therapy is anticipated to be used as a nonpharmacological treatment for hypertension in older patients.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Nonpharmacological Interventions for Moderate to Severe Dementia

OBJECTIVE: Due to limited efficacy of medications, non-pharmacological interventions (NPI) are frequently co-administered to people with moderate to severe dementia (PWMSD). This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of NPI on activities of daily living (ADL), behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and cognition and quality of life (QoL) of PWMSD. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in the following databases: Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE, Medline, CIHNAL, PsycINFO, KoreaMED, KMbase, and KISS. We conducted a meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials and used the generic inverse variance method with a fixed-effects model to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD). The protocol had been registered (CRD42017058020).

A trial on the Effects of Life Style Interventions in High-Normal Blood Pressure.

Background: This experimental (Intervention) study was conducted with objective of evaluating the outcome of non-pharmacological approach (lifestyle intervention) through reducing the modifiable risk factors on high normal blood pressure or pre-hypertension (systolic blood pressure130- 139mm of Hg and diastolic blood pressure 85-89 mm of Hg).The study was provided risk reduction management intervention was given on subjects of high normal blood pressure through adequate physical activity, tobacco cessation, dietary advice for unhealthy to healthy diet, reduction of salt intake, reduction of over weight & stress management etc. Materials and methods: The study was conducted among 434 respondents aged 30 -50 years during the period from June 2008 to May 2009 with intervention for 6 months.Random sampling, those cases were fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion. High-normal BP were found out through BP measurement & clinical examination then sample population were selected by randomization: odds numbers in study group (intervention group) and even numbers in control group (comparision group). After obtaing informed consent data were collected by interview, clinical examination, anthropometric measurement and investigations. It was three phases, first phase were case identification & intervention for study group, second phase was follow up and third phase was outcome measurement for both groups. Cases were hold a record card with contact number. Results: After six month mean difference of blood pressure, lipid profile, weight were changed both the groups but changed was significant in the study group. Mean systolic blood pressure reduced 4.1±6.0 in the study group and 1.2±6.4 in the control group,(p< 0.001). Mean diastolic pressure reduced 3.5±4.9 in study group and 1.2±6.4 in control group (p<0.001). Mean total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides decreased in the study group 19.7±18.6, 10.6±14.6 and 15.4 ±21 respectivley and in control group mean of all these parameters decreased to 11.5±16.5, 5.1±12.9 and 6.7±23.2 respectively. Mean HDL cholesterol for men and women in the study group was raised to 5.6±5.9 and 4.5± 6.4 respectively (p<0.001). Mean weight reduced 1.94±1.59 in study group and 0.06±1.44 in the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: The final outcome of the study was that mean high normal blood pressure was found to reduced due to intervention of non- pharmacological management. So, If we encourages subjects after 40 years for routine health check up in hospital setting & service for risk factor detection & management (preventive cardiology), we will reduce the risk factors of high normal blood pressure (pre-hypertension) & cardiovascular diseases to some extent. Encourages population to stay with normal blood pressure & healthy life style.

Nonpharmacological Interventions for Alzheimer's Disease

Although acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (e.g., tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine) and NMDA receptor antagonists (e.g., memantin) have demonstrated efficacy in the temporal symptomatic control of cognitive decline and daily function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, their effect is not good enough to restore premorbid function, nor is it maintained in the later stages. Therefore, nonpharmacological interventions are being increasingly advocated in order to optimize the cognition, affect and global functioning of AD patients. We reviewed the current nonpharmacological interventions for AD. Nonpharmacological interventions can be divided into two groups. One is cognitive interventions (e.g., Memory rehabilitations, Reality orientation, Reminiscence therapy and so on) and the other is behavioral interventions (e.g., unmet needs interventions, learning and behavioral interventions, environmental vulnerability and reduced stress-threshold interventions). Cognitive interventions are aimed to slow and compensate cognitive decline of AD patients. On the other hand, behavioral interventions are aimed to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, agitation, wandering, aggression and so on) of AD patients. Although many of the nonpharmacological interventions have proven beneficial for AD patients, their efficacy was still ambiguous. Randomized and controlled study with a larger sample size is needed to confirm efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions.