There are two approaches to arterial hypertension prevention- targeting a whole population whether they are exposed to arterial hypertension risk factors or not, or tackling only those considered to be at high risk, such as those with documented arterial hypertension and older adults.
One example for a high-risk strategy for arterial hypertension prevention is the reduction in total daily salt (sodium chloride) intake on individuals considered to be at high risk, such as those with documented arterial hypertension and older adults. This strategy is easily implemented in a primary care setting, where general practitioners (GP)’s consultation stresses on the importance of a low dietary intake of salt.
It is generally accepted that excess salt intake may gradually increase arterial blood pressure (BP) throughout life long before the diagnosis of arterial hypertension is made or the individuals become aware of their risk for arterial hypertension. As a result, the high-risk strategy for arterial hypertension prevention may fail to reach individuals who would otherwise benefit from a…show more content… This approach may be implemented through mass media campaigns or by sending informative and encouraging text messages (such as “Have you limited your daily salt intake to the recommended amount, Emmanuel”) through an online social networking service including but not limited to Facebook. This strategy has already been shown to be feasible and effective. In fact, Chow and colleagues have recently found that those who received usual care plus lifestyle-focused motivational texts, four times weekly for 6 months, had greater improvement in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as greater improvement in other atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk factors (Chow et al.