Table 1.
Non-pharmacological interventions for prehypertensive patients.
| Name | Content | Intensity | Name | Content | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture | Including acupuncture and moxibustion. Acupuncture refers to acupuncture of certain acupoints by professionals, leaving the needle for 30 mins after getting qi. Moxibustion refers to the use of prefabricated moxibustion grass on certain acupoints on the body's surface, burning and ironing, using heat to stimulate the acupuncture points | Average 3 times/week, 30 min each time, lasting 6 weeks | Relaxation | Receive physical therapy by professionals. Or receive training by professionals, learn relaxing exercises, combine learning materials for independent exercises, including yoga, meditation | Average 4 times/week, 45 mins each time, lasting 12 weeks |
| Meditation | Transcendental meditation is aim to reduce stress. Participants are instructed by professional meditation instructors and then study and practice in groups to finish the mindfulness-based meditation program | Average 2 h/week, lasting 12 weeks | |||
| Yoga | Guide by a professional yoga instructor to perform yoga exercises, including asanas, breathing and meditation | 6–7 days a week, 45–60 min/d, lasting for 12 weeks | |||
| Aerobic exercise | Use oxygen for energy, moderate to intensity exercise that lasts for a long time and has a rhythm, and the exercise intensity is 50–70% of the maximum heart rate. Including fast walking, jogging, cycling, mountain climbing and so on | 3–4 times/week, 30–60 min/time, lasting 12 weeks | Strengthen exercise | Under the guidance of professionals, perform aerobic exercise (such as jogging, brisk walking, cycling, etc.), resistance exercise, isometric exercise or a combination of multiple forms of exercise at different target intensities | Average 4 times/week, 45 mins each time, lasting 8 weeks |
| Resistance exercise | Complete the specified actions according to the requirements and the purpose of the action design is to exercise the main muscle groups of the body. Totally seven actions, each action is repeated 10–15 times as a group, do 2–3 groups. Elastic ropes and other props are used under the supervision of the professionals | 1 group of 12 reps; total 2 groups lasting 45 min; 3 times/week; lasting 6 months | |||
| Normal exercise | Stretching or walking briskly for 30–60 mins under the supervision of professionals, the exercise intensity is about 5 km/h | 45 mins/time; 3 times/week; lasting 8 weeks | |||
| Isometric exercise | Use isometric handle equipment to exercise at the intensity of 20–30% MVC | 10 min/d; every day; lasting 6 weeks | |||
| Combination exercise | A comprehensive exercise program that combines endurance exercise, isometric exercise and aerobic exercise | 3 times/week, an average of 50 min each time; lasting 7 weeks | |||
| Salt reduction | Provide a measuring spoon, limit salt intake (maximum 3 g/day), or use alternative salt | ≤ 3 g/day | Dietary | Reasonable diet, reduce sodium intake, reduce fat intake, reduce alcohol, increase potassium intake or adopt DASH diet | Adhere to certain diet every day. Conduct education every certain times |
| DASH | Emphasize a comprehensive diet, increase the intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, and limit the intake of sodium, saturated fat and total fat | Eat according to DASH every day | |||
| Alcohol reduction | Participants reduce their alcohol intake by substitute their drink to low-alcohol beer (0.9% v/v). Researchers provide 24 × 375 ml every 2 weeks | 0.9% alcohol by volume drink 24 × 375 ml every 2 weeks | |||
| High potassium | Participants either receive a salt substitute (potassium chloride) or receive dietary education by investigator to reduce sodium intake and increase potassium intake | Reduce sodium intake and increase potassium intake every day; education is conducted once a week | |||
| Lifestyle | Give lifestyle suggestions, such as reasonable diet, reducing fat intake, proper exercise, weight control, reducing sodium intake, quitting smoking and alcohol, reducing mental stress. Then participants are required to change lifestyle according to these suggestions | Everyday | Lifestyle | Participants are required to change lifestyle or lose weight according to education | Everyday |
| Weight loss | Participants use the physical exercise plus low-calorie diet as well as specific nutrition intake for weight loss which are designed by researchers to achieve weight and BMI target | Dietary: every day. Physical exercise is recommended 30–45 min/d, 4–5 per week | |||
| Usual care | No intervention, keep the original lifestyle habits unchanged | Everyday | Usual care | Regular blood pressure monitoring and health education is conducted without specific intervention | Follow up once a month and conduct health education once every 6 months |
min, minute; d, day; MVC, maximum voluntary contraction; v/v, volume per volume; BMI, body mass index; DASH, dietary approaches to stop hypertension.
Left three columns represented the standardized description of 15 available non-pharmacological interventions for prehypertensive patients; Right three columns represented the standardized description of five non-pharmacological intervention groups (according to previous 15 specific interventions).