Objective: To assess the efficacy of non pharmacological primary prevention of hypertension.
Methods: Analysis of all the available trials with a minimal one-year follow-up and one recently study with 8 weeks follow-up. The outcomes consisted in blood pressure changes and incidence of hypertension at the end of the study.
Results: Five reviewed randomized controlled trials with a minimal one year follow-up and one recently study with eight weeks follow-up assessed the following intervention: advice about sodium restriction, weight reduction, physical exercise and relaxation, a diet rich in fruits vegetables and low fat dairy foods. All the results were available according to the "intention to treat principle". The feasibility appeared to be initially good, but decreased with time, confirming the difficulty of long term prevention. The prevention effect was mild with a decrease in hypertension incidence of a few percent (2%) and blood pressure decrease of only a few mmHg reduction (mean of 3 mmHg). Three community studies were reviewed. The prevention interventions were carried out on entire populations. The feasibility was bad (great number of lost-follow-up). The results on the blood pressure incidence were available in only one study and the blood pressure decrease estimates were heterogeneous, so the results cannot be generalized.
Conclusion: The primary prevention of hypertension shows disappointing results when the intervention duration is above one year. It leaves little hope for a significant effect on blood pressure dependent cardiovascular events.