title: Effect of education on blood pressure control in elderly persons: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is not clear which educational strategy is most effective in helping patients to change their lifestyles. This study compared the efficacy of two different educational models on reducing blood pressure (BP).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized controlled trial in ambulatory hypertensive patients >65 years of age. Workshops that aimed to develop self-management and patient empowerment (PEM) were compared to workshops that used a compliance-based model (CEM). The primary outcome was change in systolic BP at 3 months compared with basal values between groups (net reduction), measured by 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 30 patients were educated with PEM and 30 others with CM. Both groups were statistically similar with regard to age (67 v 70 years), systolic BP (157 v 156 mm Hg) and diastolic BP (88 v 88 mm Hg), diabetes (23% v 31%), and basal natriuresis 116 v 121 mEq/day). There were more women in the PEM group (57% v 30%). The PEM group showed a significant reduction of 8 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI] 2 to 15), whereas the CM group showed a reduction of 3 mm Hg (95% CI -3 to 8), with a net reduction of 6 (95% CI -3 to 14). Mean net night-time systolic BP reduction was 12 mm Hg (95% CI 2 to 22). BP control was 70% in PEM group vs 45% in CM group (P = 0.045). The relative odds ratio for BP control for the PEM group after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, basal blood pressure and changes in pharmacological treatment was 3.7 (95% CI 1.05 to 13.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these study results, the self-management education model was significantly more effective than the compliance-based model in BP control.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. silvana.figar@hospitalitaliano.org.ar
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Figar
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galarza
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petrlik
authors.forename: Lucila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hornstein
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Loria
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waisman
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rada
authors.forename: Enrique Roberto
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.forename: Fernán González Bernaldo
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: de Quirós
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome