Health education program effects on the management of hypertension in the elderly

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Abstract
Because the elderly are viewed as having more difficulty in complying with therapy, this analysis was directed at the effects of a health education program on their control of primary hypertension when compared with a younger population. The program consisted of 3 sequential interventions introduced in a randomized factorial design. Despite the fact that elderly patients had more chronic disease, more complications from hypertension and were receiving more complex drug therapies than younger patients exposed to the same experimental interventions, they demonstrated significantly higher levels of complicance with drug therapy, significantly higher levels of appointment keeping and no difference in the proportion having their BP [blood pressure] under control at 2-yr follow-up. Longitudinal data collected at 5-yr follow-up indicate no decay effect. Such programs can be successfully implemented and are equally effective for an elderly population.