Prevention and control of hypertension by nutritional-hygienic means. Long-term experience of the Chicago Coronary Prevention Evaluation Program.

In the Chicago Coronary Prevention Evaluation Program (CPEP), 115 men had definite mild hypertension at entry; another 101 men had high-normal diastolic blood pressure (BP). The nutritional-hygienic nonpharmacologic CPEP regimen achieved years-long moderate weight loss, slowing of pulse rate, and reduction in serum cholesterol levels. Sustained falls in BP were recorded-about 10/13 mm Hg for hypertensive men, resulting in long-term normalization of BP, and about 7/4 mm Hg for men with high-normal BP at entry. Change in weight and change in BP were significantly correlated. Long-term improvements in eating and exercise habits yielding moderate sustained weight loss are apparently useful in preventing high BP in hypertension-prone persons and in controlling established "mild" hypertension.