[Meta-analysis on the effectiveness of community-based multiple risk factor interventions for hypertension...

To evaluate the effectiveness of multiple risk factor interventions for hypertension prevention in the community.

Twelve trials of multiple risk factor interventions for community-wide hypertension prevention according to the selective criteria were assessed by Meta-analysis, from 1970 to 1997. According to the heterogeneity of the studies, two different models, namely, Fixed Effect Model and Random Effect Model, were applied to analyze the results.

The intervention effects of community-based hypertension control trials were estimated to be: a 1.75 mmHg (s(x) 0.57 mmHg) net decrease in mean systolic blood pressure, a 1.45 mmHg (s(x) 0.43 mmHg) net decrease in mean diastolic blood pressure in general population, 0.24 kg/m(2) (s(x) 0.08 kg/m(2)) and 0.32 kg/m(2) (s(x) 0.15 kg/m(2)) net decreases in body mass index among the total population and female population respectively, a 2.97% reduction in hypertension prevalence, and a 133/100,000 reduction in stroke prevalence in the Chinese population. The intervention effects for the treatment and controlled of hypertensive were significant to increase 25.07% and 40.45% in the rates and controlled of treatment respectively. No significant changes were noticed in the rates of smoking and hypertensive awareness in the general population.

The results showed that the community-based multiple risk factor interventions for hypertension had positive impaction the reduction of risk factors to hypertension, thus to increase the effects on treatment and control of hypertension, decrease prevalences of hypertension and stroke.