Self-Management for Hypertension

Because many hypertensive patients do not achieve good control of blood pressure (BP), strategies are needed beyond physician adjustment of medication based on office-visit BP measurements. In a study of two self-management strategies, North Carolina investigators randomized 636 patients with hypertension to receive bimonthly nurse-delivered telephone calls, with tailored behavioral counseling focused on medication adherence; thrice-weekly home BP measurement, with values recorded in logs (logs were mailed to primary care providers every 2 months); both interventions; or usual care. BP control was defined as systolic BP <140 mm Hg and diastolic BP <90 mm Hg for patients without diabetes, and systolic BP <130 mm Hg and diastolic BP <80 mm Hg…