title: Lifestyle interventions for hypertension treatment among Iranian women in primary health-care settings: Results of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lifestyle factors such as weight, salt intake, and physical activity have shown to be important in treating hypertension. The object of this study was to describe feasibility and to assess the effectiveness of a multicomponent lifestyle intervention on high blood pressure (BP) of Iranian women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized controlled trial was conducted in four health centers by recruiting 161 women aged 35-65 years with high BP and randomizing them to a 4-week lifestyle modification (n = 80) or control group (n = 81). BP level and other health behavioral factors were assessed before and after the 4-week intervention and also after 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean systolic BP changed from 158.8 (±8.1) mmHg to 153.2 (±6.4) mmHg during 4-week and to 145.5 (±4.6)) mmHg after 6 months in the intervention group (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference between two groups of study after 4-week mean = 5.6 (confidence interval [CI] = 5.1-6.6) and 6 months follow mean (CI = 12.3-14.6).(P < 0.001) A significant correlation was detected between systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) with weight, body mass index, waist circumference, salt intake, and physical activity level (P < 0.001). Stepwise regression analyses indicated that the weight, dietary salt intake, and physical activity level were significant predictors of SBP and DBP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that lifestyle modification program is associated with improvements in BP level in Iranian women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Tolou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasandokht
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ziba
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Farajzadegan
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra Dana
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Siadat
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zamzam
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Paknahad
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Kermenshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rajati
keywords: Blood pressure; multicomponent lifestyle; physical activity; primary health-care centers