Nursing actions increases the control of hypertensive patients and reduces white-coat effect

Abstract

A randomized comparative study was performed to evaluate the control of hypertension with use of home blood pressure measurement (HBPM) and casual blood pressure measurement, and analyze the white coat effect. Hypertensive patients in primary health care units were randomly divided into two groups: group I, participating of the educational activities and group II that followed the routine treatment. The hypertensive patients from group I realized HBPM at the beginning and the end of the study. White-coat effect was evaluated by the difference between the casual blood pressure measurement and HBPM. The study included 290 hypertensive patients, but realized HBPM 82 hypertensive patients. There was increase in blood pressure control from the beginning to end of study in hypertensive patients from group I (p < 0.05) measured by HBP (60% to 68.3%) and casual measurement (62% to 71%) and in group II, HMBP hypertension control was higher than the casual blood pressure measurement (63% vs 50%). The white coat effect was greater in hipertensive patients from group II.