Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Approaches to the Treatment of Hypertension with Implications for the Clinical Nurse Specialist

摘要

Hypertension is a ubiquitous and life-threatening disease. It is a major risk factor in the etiology of most cardiovascular diseases. A U.S. Health Survey report has concluded from screening data that 60,000,000 U.S. adults have hypertension. Traditionally, this disease has been treated pharmacologically. This approach has been found to be effective particularly in the treatment of moderate hypertension. Unfortunately, antihypertensive medications also cause many undesirable side effects, and their cost can be quite significant. Therefore, alternate methods of control have been proposed and researched. These methods include relaxation, meditation and biofeedback. Many of these alternate methods, although behaviorally related, have physiologic rationables. In this paper an overview of the pharmacologic treatments and a more detailed description of the behavioral approaches will be presented. Also a critical review of the research findings pertaining to the behavioral methods of treatment will be included. Finally, a discussion of the implications for the clinical nurse specialist dealing in this area will be presented.