Public health measures for blood pressure control in the whole community

One approach to the prevention of blood pressure-associated cardiovascular disease is to find increased numbers of "hypertensives" and bring them under treatment. A complementary approach is to attempt to change the blood pressure distribution of the whole population. It can be calculated that, if the association between blood pressure level and mortality were reversible, a reduction of diastolic blood pressure of 5 mmHg in the population mean would be associated with a substantial reduction in cardiovascular mortality. The assumption of reversibility of risk of coronary heart disease may be more reasonable in the long than in the short term. The evidence from INTERSALT and other studies suggests that readily achievable changes in sodium and potassium intake, in body mass index and in alcohol intake, could lead to average blood pressure change across a whole population of 5 mmHg. A major task for public health is the implementation of such life-style changes among different social class and ethnic groups.