New York – A five year comprehensive study on low-income black men suffering hypertension has revealed that a blend of medication and education is the best bet to reduce hypertension.
There were 309 African American men participating in the study. At the start of the study, 50% of the men were arbitrarily assigned an intensive program combining free medication, health education and social support. The rest were assigned a program of lesser intensity that included education, and assistance in finding a remedy for their problem.The finding revealed that within a five year period, both groups witnessed a positive change in their average blood pressure levels. But the group which received concerted assistance saw an improvement in the condition called left ventricular hypertrophy, a consequence of high blood pressure.
Both strategies did not help resolve the associated risks of high blood pressure - diabetes and obesity. "The findings are encouraging in that we saw improvements in blood pressure in both groups," said lead study author Dr. Cheryl R. Dennison of Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in Baltimore.
Source-Medindia
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