Effects of a Comprehensive Intervention on Blood Pressure Control in a Primary Care Setting

Effects of a Comprehensive Intervention on Blood Pressure Control in a Primary Care Setting

The implementation of lifestyle modifications, home blood pressure (BP) measurement, and optimization of antihypertensive drug therapy have been shown to improve BP control in tightly controlled research settings. The investigators objective is to determine the effect of these interventions in a primary care setting, with the family practitioners and nurses serving as the interventionists. The investigaotrs hypothesis is that a comprehensive intervention performed in a primary care setting would lead to better blood pressure control.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 35-74 years
• Untreated office blood pressure of ≥ 160/100 mmHg or on active antihypertensive treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe psychiatric or neurologic illnesses
• Heart failure (ejection fraction < 40% or previous hospitalization for heart failure)
• Hemodynamically significant valvular disease
• Unstable coronary heart disease
• Chronic kidney disease (proteinuria > 1 g/l or a serum creatinine concentration > 160 mmol/l)