Nonpharmacological therapy is recognized as the essential first step in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. This therapy involves behavioral (life-style) modifications. The following are major behavioral areas of intervention in the hypertension regimen: weight reduction, sodium restriction in the diet, aerobic exercise, relation and biofeedback, alcohol consumption moderation, and the elimination of cigarette smoking. Not only are lifestyle modifications effective in preventing or treating hypertension, they can reduce the risk factors associated with premature cardiovascular disease as well. The nonpharmacological approach to hypertension offers numerous benefits at low cost and with minimal risk.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, affects about 50 million Americans, or about one in every four of the adult population. Although anyone can develop hypertension, it is more prevalent among special populations. These groups include the elderly, African Americans, residents of the Southeastern portion of the United States, and the less educated segment of society (Young, 1995, p 302). Hypertension is rare or unknown among primitive human cultures (Dubbert, 1995, p. 188). After menopause, women are more likely to have high blood pressure than men, reversing a gender trend that exists during the early and middle adult years.
The precise cause of hypertension is often difficult to determine. A person with secondary hypertension has a reversible cause for their high blood pressure if any target organ disease is present. The vast majority of individuals who suffer from elevated blood pressure have primary (or essential) hypertension, i.e., not due to a specific physiological disorder. Thus the cause(s) of most hypertension remains unknown. Primary hypertension cannot be cured, although it can be controlled in most cases.
Hypertension is a risk factor for several disorders which can lead to mortality...