{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.03631694790902421, 'fraction_numerical': 0.01173881144534116, 'mean_word_length': 5.073496659242761, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 1, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 1, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Motivational interviewing to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients: randomized clinical trial


 
 
 Uncontrolled hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This factor is often due to poor self-care; however, patients find lifestyle modifications difficult to achieve. Motivational interviewing has been proposed as an approach to enhance intrinsic motivation to change, develop autonomy, and promote healthy behaviors, but few randomized controlled trials have explored this approach, especially in hypertension.
 
 
 
 To evaluate the effectiveness of motivational interviewing in reducing blood pressure and improving self-care behaviors and medication adherence in patients with hypertension.
 
 
 
 Single-center, parallel, randomized clinical trial with outcome-assessor blinding. The study included 120 adult patients diagnosed with hypertension who received regular follow-up in an outpatient hypertension clinic in Southern Brazil. Patients were allocated to one of two groups: the intervention group (IG), which received motivational interviewing by a trained nurse, and the control group (CG), which received standard care. All patients in the IG and the CG were assessed face-to-face once monthly for 6 months. The primary outcome was the reduction in systolic blood pressure and changes in mean blood pressure measured by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring; secondary outcomes included self-care behaviors, measured with the Self-Care of Hypertension Inventory, and medication adherence, measured with Medication Assessment Questionnaire. Outcomes of interest were measured at baseline and at 6-month follow-up.
 
 
 
 The sample consisted largely of white (72%) females (70%), with a mean age of 62 years (SD=10), and a median duration of hypertension of ≥13 years. There were no statistically significant differences between groups at baseline. Over time, a statistically significant decrease in blood pressure levels occurred in the motivational interviewing group, except for daytime systolic blood pressure. The magnitude of change was greatest for nighttime systolic blood pressure (−6.4 mmHg) and 24h systolic blood pressure (−5.3 mmHg). Furthermore, patients in the IG showed improvement in all dimensions of the self-care score (P<0.05). Medication adherence improved in the IG (within-group analysis), but not in controls (P>0.05).
 
 
 
 Motivational interviewing is effective in reducing blood pressure and improving self-care and medication adherence in patients with hypertension.
 
 
 
 Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior- Brasil (CAPES)- Finance code 001.
