Health related behaviour in hypertension

Three groups of patients matched for age and sex were drawn from general practitioner records. One group had been diagnosed as mild hypertensives and were not on any medication, the second group consisted of moderate to severe hypertensives on medication and the third was a quasi-control group consisting of normotensives with no diagnosed medical problem. These three groups were compared with respect to individual behaviours which may affect blood pressure levels. Patients in both hypertensive groups were less likely to be current smokers. They were also more likely to be controlling their weight than people in the control group: well over 50% of men and women in both hypertensive groups as compared with about one-third in the control group. There were no differences between the three groups with respect to reported frequency or amount of alcohol use, frequency of exercise or strategies for coping with stress, although men in the control group were significantly less likely to describe themselves as not very active. We suggest that more advice is needed for hypertensive patients concerning the adverse effects of alcohol, the benefits of exercise and successful methods of weight control. However, the greater propensity of normotensives to smoke may put them more at risk of cardiovascular disease than the hypertensive individuals.