Topic: Hypertension
A 56-year-old patient with newly diagnosed stage 1 hypertension has been referred to you for counseling
regarding lifestyle modifications. He is married, with four children — two in high school, two in college. His job
as a senior vice-president for a major retail chain requires that he work long hours and frequently eat at
restaurants. He smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, has a body mass index (BMI) of 29 kg/m2, and a waisthip ratio of 1.6. He usually drinks one to two dry martinis to relax after he gets home from work.
How would you develop a realistic plan to help this patient reduce his blood pressure and prevent
complications?
Which risk factors would be among your top two or three priorities for this patient, and what interventions or
recommendations would you provide for modifying these?