Risk Factors for Hypertension

Chapter 31

A 56-year-old patient with newly diagnosed stage I hypertension has been referred to you for counseling regarding lifestyle modifications. He is married, with four children––two in high school, two in college. His job as a senior vice-president for a major retail chain requires that he work long hours and frequently eat at restaurants. He smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, has a body mass index (BMI) of 29 kg/m2, and a waist–hip ratio of 1.6. He usually drinks one to two dry martinis to relax after he gets home from work.

a.            How would you develop a realistic plan to help this patient reduce his blood pressure and prevent complications?

b.            Which risk factors would be among your top two or three priorities for this patient, and what interventions or recommendations would you provide for modifying these?