title: Lifestyle modifications to lower or control high blood pressure: is advice associated with action? The behavioral risk factor surveillance survey.
abstract: Routine lifestyle modification advice for managing high blood pressure (BP) is of questionable effectiveness. Using data from the 2005 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System, we examined whether receipt of advice is associated with reported adoption of lifestyle modifications. We determined proportions of hypertensive adults taking action to change eating habits, reduce salt intake, exercise, or decrease alcohol consumption to control high BP. We then determined associations between reports of advice given and corresponding actions being taken: 70.1% of respondents reported changing eating habits, 78.7% reported reducing salt intake, 67.1% reported exercising, and 57.9% of those who drank alcohol reported decreasing their consumption. Compared with those who did not recall being given advice, hypertensive adults who recalled being given advice were more likely to change their eating habits (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.56-1.67), reduce salt (PR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.48-1.58), exercise (PR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.36-1.47), and reduce alcohol consumption (PR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.70-1.87).
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7595, USA. anthony_viera@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Viera
authors.forename: Abhijit V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kshirsagar
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hinderliter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D004039:Diet, Sodium-Restricted; D037001:Directive Counseling; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior