[Influence of social support on patients with essential hypertension].
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether social support affects blood pressure control in patients diagnosed with essential Hypertension.


METHODS
Observational, prospective study, with a year's follow-up. SERRING: Mariñamansa-A Cuña Health Centre, Ourense (Galicia), Spain.


METHODS
236 patients diagnosed with essential hypertension in health centre controls.


METHODS
During the one-year follow-up the following clinical variables were measured: age, sex, blood pressure, severity of hypertension, tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, presence of diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolaemia, Body Mass Index and compliance with treatment. Social and family variables were: marital status, cultural level, economic and social status, type of family, stressful vital events and social support.


RESULTS
Mean age was 63.51 (62.05-64.96); 66.1% were women. Predominant kind of family was nuclear (64.3%). 30.2% had low social network (0-1 social contacts). We found 22% poor functional social support. Social support remained stable throughout the study. Hypertense patients with poor social networks had, after control for possible confusing variables, their systolic pressure 9.59 mm Hg (2.6716,51) and diastolic pressure 4.29 mm Hg (0.448.15) higher than hypertense patients with broader social networks.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypertense patients with a poor social network had higher blood pressure figures than hypertense patients with wider social networks.
Menéndez Villalva
C
C
Centro de Saúde Mariñamansa-A Cuña. Ourense. España. carmenvill@eresmas.com
Montes Martínez
A
A
Gamarra Mondelo
T
T
Núñez Losada
Carmen
C
Alonso Fachado
A
A
Bujan Garmendia
S
S
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support