Control of hypertension in a family practice model office.

The treatment of hypertension has been shown to decrease morbidity; however, the effectiveness of the primary care physician in lowering blood pressure has not been extensively studied. This study examines the outcome of patients during their first year of follow-up from two family practice model offices. A total of 182 cases of hypertension were diagnosed during the study period; the patients" ages ranged from 12 to 88 years. Over the first year of follow-up, weight, blood pressure, and treatment plan were recorded for each visit. The mean weight did not change during follow-up. The mean diastolic pressure at diagnosis was 104 mmHg and had dropped to 91 mmHg by the end of the year. Fifty-six percent of patients obtained a diastolic pressure of 90 mmHg or below and maintained this control for the remainder of the study. An additional number of patients (13 percent) maintained at least a 10 mmHg decrease in diastolic pressure, eight patients were lost to follow-up, and the remainder showed no improvement or were lost to follow-up during the year. The outcome for both male and female patients was similar. This study shows that family practice residents can be effective in lowering blood pressure in the majority of patients during the first year of follow-up.