title: Nutrition and lifestyle in patients pharmacologically treated due to hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Proper nutrition and physical activity are together an important way of non-pharmacological treatment of arterial hypertension. The aim of the study was to answer the question whether patients with hypertension use non-pharmacological methods of hypertension treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included a group of 280 patients aged 18-85, suffering from hypertension. In the study, 10 nutritional and non-nutritional factors affecting the treatment of hypertension were analyzed. Data regarding the diet were collected by a method of 24-h recall. Basic anthropometric measurements (body weight, body height, waist and hip circumference) were taken, as well as threefold measurement of blood pressure. The data were statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average value of blood pressure was 131.2 ± 15.5/82.9 ± 10.5 mm Hg. Approximately 90% of the respondents had abnormal body weight, i.e. excessive weight or obesity. Abdominal obesity according to waist hip ratio assessment was diagnosed in 87% of women and 66% of men; according to the measurement of waist circumference, it was diagnosed in 140 (81%) women and 88 (81%) men. Among the ingredients with antihypertensive effect, the sodium intake was 4,417.8 ± 2,052.7 mg/d, which when converted to salt is on average 11 g/d, potassium: 3,808.5 ± 1,265.7 mg/d, calcium: 724.6 ± 413.7 mg/d, and magnesium: 383.9 ± 139.3 mg/d. One in 5 (18%) people declared smoking. Only 5% of subjects reported high level of physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In persons with diagnosed hypertension, vast majority of patients did not implement non-pharmacological hypertension treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics with Clinic of Metabolic Disea ses and Gastroenterology, National Food and Nutrition Institute, Warsaw, Poland. jarosz@izz.waw.pl.
authors.forename: Mirosław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jarosz
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention of Diet-related Diseases with Outpatient Clinic of Metabolic Diseases. National Food and Nutrition Institute.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolańska
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetic with Clinic of Metabolic Diseases and Gastroenterology. National Food and Nutrition Institute.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stolińska
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetic with Clinic of Metabolic Diseases and Gastroenterology. National Food and Nutrition Institute.
authors.forename: Wioleta
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Respondek
authors.affiliation: Department of Prevention of Diet-related Diseases with Outpatient Clinic of Metabolic Diseases. National Food and Nutrition Institute.
authors.forename: Longina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kłosiewicz-Latoszek
keywords: diet; hypertension; lifestyle; obesity; salt