Hypertension control in communities:analysis of implementation of non-pharmaceutical management / 中华全科医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess effectiveness of implementation of non-pharmaceutical treatment in a standardized community-based hypertension management program in China.MethodsA protocol of standardized community-based hypertension management was developed based on current guidelines for prevention and treatment of hypertension in China.Physicians in community health-care service centers at the grassroots across China were trained in a standardized way using this protocol during 2005 to 2008,and then the trainees were required to manage hypertensive patients according to the protocol.Hypertensive patients eligible for criteria of inclusion and under management for more than one year were analyzed to observe changes in their behavioral risk factors,pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical treatment,and effectiveness of blood pressure lowering.ResultsBy the end of 2008,a total of 29 411 hypertensive patients had been managed for one year according to the protocol and 20 077 patients with complete data (47.1％ for male)with mean age of 61±11 years were eligible for analysis.After standardized management of one year,prevalence of smoking,alcohol drinking and proportion of patients who preferred salty diet decreased from 17.7 percent,18.1 percent and 32.8 percent to 8.9 percent,8.7 percent and 15.8 percent,respectively(P＜0.01).Srstolic blood pressure(BP)decreased by 11.6[95％confidence interval(CI)10.8-12.4]mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa),13.7(95％CI 13.3-14.1)mm Hg and 15.2(95％CI14.8-15.6)mmHg in the patients with non-pharmaceutical therapy,pharmaceutical therapy and both,respectively；and diastolic BP decreased by 7.5(95％CI6.9-8.1)mm Hg,8.3(95％CI8.1-8.5)mmHg and 8.0(95％CI7.8-8.2)mm Hg in the three groups,respectively.During the one-year period of management,proportion of the patients with appropriate non-pharmaceutical therapy increased continuously.By the end of one-year management,59.5 percent of smoked patients were required to quit their smoking,55.5 percent of alcohol drinkers were required to limit their drinking,52.3 percent of overweight and obese patients were required to reduce their weight and 47.3 percent of patients with physical exercises less than three times a week were required to increase their regular physical activity.However,certain proportion of the patients with risk factors did not receive appropriate non-pharmaceutical therapy.Conclusion Guideline-oriented hypertension management succeeded in lifestyle changes among the patients,but it is a gradual process to its full implementation.