[Measures against environmental and life-style problems in the patients with hypertension]

It is well known that the pathogenesis of essential hypertension is multi-factorial, and that the environmental and genetic factors and their interaction play important roles on pathogenesis of hypertension. The environmental factors consist of natural environmental factors, such as weather, seasons, temperature, soil and water, and social environmental factors, such as human relationship, socioeconomic status, residence, education, stress and life-style. Life-style modification including salt restriction, body weight reduction, mineral supplementation, aerobic exercise, alcohol restriction, cessation of smoking and release from psychoemotional stress is the basic strategy for antihypertensive therapy. Not only Joint National Committee (JNC VI) and WHO-International Society of Hypertension (WHO-ISH 1999), but also Japanese Society of Hypertension (JSH 2000) are recommending the life-style modification for the initial treatment of hypertension.