Local treatment, family support can help with blood pressure maintenance

A treatment strategy that includes family support and local, non-physician health professionals could help people better control their blood pressure, according to new research. A trial of nearly 1,400 people in Colombia and Malaysia had non-physicians such as nurses recommend treatment and lifestyle changes for managing high blood pressure, and lined up family members to get patients to adhere to the recommendations. After a one-year follow-up, those under this comprehensive plan had almost twice the reduction in cardiovascular disease risk than those in the control arm, in addition to lower blood pressure and lower levels of the type of cholesterol considered detrimental to heart health. One reason why this approach may have worked is that it replaced physician visits, which can require more time and means to travel.