Healthy lifestyle interventions in general practice Part 7: Lifestyle and hypertension

Abstract

This article forms the seventh part of the series on the role of lifestyle modification in general practice with specific reference to hypertension. Hypertension is defined as sustained resting blood pressure (BP) above 140/90 mmHg. Approximately 17% of the adult westernised population suffer from this disease. In most cases (> 90%) the cause is unknown and this is referred to as essential or primary hypertension. Untreated hypertension is associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, kidney disease, and coronary artery disease. Lifestyle modifications to introduce healthy behavior are important in both the prevention and management of hypertension3 and details of these interventions are provided in this article.