Treatment of hypertension in the Hispanic community: cultural case studies

This patient had good command of English, so most of the interactions and teaching that he participated in was conducted in English. Over time, the patient developed a very good relationship with the doctor's office and relied on that relationship to support making changes that would ensure he was maintaining good health. The involvement of the patient's daughter was absolutely essential, since he had started drinking and neglecting his health following the death of his wife. Involving his daughter in the treatment plan gave him someone else outside of the office on whom he could rely for guidance and support, and so that she, in turn, could oversee his compliance with the plan. Two other issues deserve mention. First, drug-resistant hypertension is defined as BP > 140/90 mm Hg on 3 or more medications. One of the causes of refractory hypertension is inadequate diuresis, often secondary to reduced glomerular filtration. Since this patient appears to have responded to furosemide over a thiazide diuretic, a 24-hour creatinine clearance should be performed. Second, the glycohemoglobin was abnormal at 6.2 corresponding to a mean blood glucose of 120. This is strongly suspicious for metabolic syndrome, and a waistline measurement should be obtained. If this patient is overweight, a 5% weight loss could reduce this patient's chance of developing diabetes by 58%.