Walking Intervention in African American Adults With Newly Diagnosed Hypertension
Condition: Hypertension
MeSH terms: Hypertension
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      High blood pressure (hypertension) is one the most common and serious chronic diseases among
      Americans, especially among the African Americans. The purpose of this study is to explore
      the effect six month long walking intervention on blood pressure in adult African American
      with a newly diagnosed high blood pressure (hypertension). The hypothesis is that the group
      with encouragement to walk extra 30 minutes a day for 5-7 days a week may lower their blood
      pressure compared to the control group without the encouragement.
    

Detailed description: 
      Hypertension is a very common and serious chronic disease, which affects approximately 50
      million people in the United States. Defined by systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 140 mm Hg or
      higher or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 90 mm Hg or higher, hypertension increases the
      risk for adverse cardiovascular and renal outcomes, such as myocardial infarction, stroke,
      congestive heart failure, end-stage renal disease, and peripheral vascular disease. Data from
      as early as the 1960's indicates that the disease disproportionately effects subgroups of the
      population, with non-Hispanic African Americans having an age-adjusted prevalence of
      hypertension (32.4%) almost 40% higher than that noted in non-Hispanic whites (23.3%) and
      Mexican Americans (22.6%). Although hypertension-related mortality seems to be declining
      among African Americans, it continues to be a problem which disproportionately affects
      African Americans more than Whites, particularly in younger age groups.

      The management of hypertension is of particular importance for primary care providers, due
      not only to its prevalence but also because it is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular
      diseases. Although, there are a number of medications available for lowering blood pressure,
      the first step in managing hypertension should be life-style modification, including weight
      reduction, increased physical activity, and restriction of dietary sodium and alcohol intake.

      Walking seems to be one of the safest and simplest exercises for hypertensive patients of all
      age groups. Combinations of walking, jogging and bicycling have been shown to be effective in
      managing hypertension, but there are inherent risks associated with strenuous exercises like
      jogging and bicycling. Additionally, as most hypertensive patients tend to be overweight,
      jogging may not be an easy exercise for them. The positive effect of brisk walking on
      hypertension has been demonstrated in postmenopausal women. Despite the recognized importance
      of finding ways to effectively manage hypertension in African Americans, there is a paucity
      of studies on the impact of walking in this population. The purpose of this research was to
      study the impact of walking an extra 30 minutes a day on blood pressure in 25 to 59 year old
      African Americans with newly diagnosed hypertension.
    

Intervention name(s): Walking (behavior)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: high blood pressure; hypertension; adult; African Americans; Walking