Table 1.

Lifestyle management educational program

Sessions	Content of the educational program
First	Definition of HTN, sorting and diagnosing HTN, number of follow-ups and referring to the physician, complications and risk factors of HTN, and methods of treating and controlling HTN
Second	"DASH" diet, the importance of diet and its effect on BP control, foods that could lower BP, foods that could increase BP, the right method of cooking food and its importance
Third	Appropriate exercise, the importance of increasing physical activity, how to lose weight and its effect on BP control, the risks of weight gain, the advantages of increase in physical activity
Fourth	The importance of regular medicine treatment, different types of medicines for lowering BP, medicine interactions and the right consumption method of medicines based on their dose and timing and considering medicine interactions, medicines’ side effects At the end of this session, a scenario about some patients who have experienced acute complications due to lack of BP control was given to the participants and they were asked to study it before the next session.
Fifth	Reviewing scenarios in groups, presenting a video about a patient with HTN, methods to manage stress, the advantages of stress management and the effect of stress and tension on BP, relaxation and muscle releasing methods
Sixth	The participation of the subjects’ families was demanded to support patients. Participants’ families were informed about the disease, healthy lifestyle, the ways to control the disease, the complications of not controlling the disease, and the role of family’s participation in supporting the patient. At the end of the session, a question and answer session was held for participants and their families.

HTN: Hypertension; DASH: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension; BP: Blood pressure