Prehypertensive Patients Substantially Improve Risk Factors in a Weight Management Program.

Objective:  Prehypertension has been shown to substantially increase the risk for cardiovascular disease.  Lifestyle changes, including weight management, should be the first step in preventing or delaying the progression of prehypertension to hypertension and in reducing other comorbid risk factors.

Method:  This study evaluated the risk factor changes for prehypertensive patients attending the HMR^® Program for Weight Management^TM.  HMR offers a range of weight-loss treatment options, including medically supervised low- and very-low-calorie diets, moderately restricted diets and phone-based programs as well as long-term maintenance.  Patients who entered with blood pressures between 120—139 and 80—89 mmHg, were not taking blood pressure medications, and later joined maintenance were evaluated.

Results:  The average folllow-up time for this group (n = 351) was 2.7 years (141 weeks).  The average weight loss being maintained during this time period was 37 lbs. or 16% of initial body weight.  Patients had significant decreases (p < .01) in all measured medical risk factors:  14% total cholesterol/HDL, 30.2% triglycerides, 5.2% fasting blood glucose, 8 mmHg systolic and 9 mmHg diastolic blood pressure.  Patients had made substantial lifestyle changes:  physical activity increased 187.8% (617—1776 kcal/wk) and dietary fat decreased by 26.3% (38—28%).  The average number of elevated risk factors declined from 7 to 3.  Only 5.7% of patients were on blood pressure medications at the time of follow-up while 94.3% remained off medications.  Patients decreased their use of other medications as well:  30.8% went off cholesterol medications and 84.6% went off oral diabetes medications.

Conclusion:  The lifestyle changes made in an intensive weight management program result in significant reductions in medical risk factors for patients entering with prehypertension.  Not only did patients reduce their blood pressure and, on average, remain off medications, they also benefited by reductions in other medical risk factors.