Zosimo T. Literatus, R.M.T.
Breakthroughs

“The worst ruler is the one who cannot rule himself,” wrote Marcus Porcius Cato, also known as Cato the Elder, a renowned Roman soldier and statesman two centuries before Christ. He is also the author of Origines (a seven-book work that relates the history of Italian towns from their legendary or historical foundation to his own day).

This thought has import in patients who wants to recover from hypertension eventually.

Sun.Star accepts donations for victims of Typhoon Ondoy

Hypertension may be considered a lifelong health problem but science finds a way to slowly recover from it through self-discipline. A recent study confirms that a patient can manage his high blood pressure (BP) at home effectively even on his own. A team of 12 physicians, led by Hayden Bosworth, found that patients who adhere to the requirements set in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (Dash)—and learn to monitor their own BP three times a week on three separate days—continue to show the lowering of their BP every year for at least two years thereafter.

Dash provides specific guidelines in changing dietary pattern, weight loss, reduced sodium intake, regular moderate-intensity physical activity, smoking cessation, and moderation of alcohol intake.

The study defined BP control to be "a systolic BP less than 140 mm hydrargyrum (Hg) and diastolic BP less than 90 mm Hg for patients without diabetes, and less than 130 mm Hg and less than 80 mm Hg for patients with diabetes, respectively."

Over 630 patients participated, with an average systolic BP of 125 mm Hg and mean diastolic BP of 71 mm Hg. Seventy-three percent of participants had their BP already under control at the study onset.

Results, published in the Oct. 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, show that combination of Dash and home BP monitoring give better BP control compared to either separately at 11.0 percent in 24 months. Home BP monitoring, however, provided better results (7.6 percent) compared to Dash (4.3 percent).

At 12 months, the mean systolic BP dropped by 3.3 mm Hg and showed a sustained drop at 24 months by 3.9 mm Hg. The average diastolic BP at 12 months dropped by 2.2 mm Hg, second to home BP monitoring (3.1 mm Hg drop) and performed much better at 24 months with a continued drop of 2.2 mm Hg (home BP monitoring dropped by 1.2 mm Hg only).

This indicates a “synergistic effect of the two interventions on improving BP over time,” observed Bosworth.

First century BC Latin maxim writer Publilius Syrus advised: “No one knows what he can do till he tries.” That goes for all of us.