Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of the study population
| Variables | Usual care group | Intervention group | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| N | 103 | 165 | |
| Sex | 0.08 | ||
| Male, n (%) | 47 (45.5) | 60 (36.2) | |
| Female, n (%) | 56 (54.5) | 105 (63.8) | |
| Mean age, years (SD) | 57.6 (12.1) | 59.9 (10.4) | 0.06 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 45 (43.6) | 15 (9.1) | 0.01 |
| Mean height, cm (SD) | 161.5 (18.9) | 165.5 (7.8) | 0.02 |
| Mean weight, Kg (SD) | 75.4 (15.2) | 75.4 (17.0) | 0.99 |
| Mean waist circumference, cm (SD) | 93.0 (19.4) | 92.1 (16.0) | 0.66 |
| Mean body mass index, kg/m2 (SD) | 29.4 (12.6) | 27.3 (6.4) | 0.09 |
| Mean systolic blood pressure, mmHg (SD) | 160.8 (23.7) | 169.2 (27.9) | 0.01 |
| Mean diastolic blood pressure, mmHg (SD) | 95.2 (14.8) | 100.4 (18.3) | 0.01 |
| Mean heart rate, beats/minute (SD) | 73.8 (14.5) | 76.6 (13.8) | 0.12 |
| Hypertension | 0.29 | ||
| Grade I, n (%) | 8 (7.8) | 18 (10.9) | |
| Grade II, n (%) | 26 (25.0) | 52 (31.5) | |
| Grade III, n (%) | 69 (67.0) | 95 (57.6) | |
| Mean number of visits attended by hypertension grade (SD) | |||
| Grade I | 3.5 (2.1) | 5.2 (1.8) | 0.04 |
| Grade II | 4.7 (1.7) | 5.5 (1.2) | 0.02 |
| Grade III | 4.5 (1.9) | 5.6 (1.4) | 0.01 |
| Blood pressure lowering medication at the last visit | |||
| Calcium channel blockers, n (%) | 18 (17.4 | 25 (15.2) | 0.61 |
| Centrally acting sympatholytics, n (%) | 1 (0.9) | 3 (1.7) | >0.99 |
| Beta blockers, n (%) | 3 (2.7) | 6 (3.4) | >0.99 |
| Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, n (%) | 10 (10.1) | 33 (20.3) | 0.03 |
| Diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide), n (%) | 71 (68.8) | 98 (59.3) | 0.12 |
SD: standard deviation