246670 A plant Therapy Intervention Measure to Reduce High Blood Pressure in (VaD) patients: Results from a community based study

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Christine Phillips, MA, PhD , Arts and Science, Strayer University, Doral, FL
Background: Hypertension is one of the most chronic diseases all over the world, and the leading cause of stroke. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether a plant therapeutic intervention treatment program could decrease the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of patients with vascular dementia (VaD). Method: Two study groups of 50 randomly-selected subjects admitted to the dementia care unit of a geriatric hospital in Japan and receiving regular treatment from their doctor were included in the study. Participants aged 65-75 with stage 1 hypertension, systolic blood pressure between 140 and 160 mm Hg, and a diastolic pressure between 90 and 99 (mm Hg) participated in the study. The intervention consisted of daily sessions of therapeutic activities, two hours per session, five days per week for duration of 8 weeks. Participants in the control group received regular nursing care from their caregiver. Participants in both control and treatment group had their blood pressure check at the beginning and after the sessions and a chi-square test was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. Results: The systolic and diastolic blood pressure measure before treatment was (SBP) 140-159 and (DBP) 159-99mmHg, and a decline in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in all treatment groups were found. Patients in the treatment group's systolic pressure decreased 9.4 points, while their diastolic pressure decreased 3.5 points. Changes in the diastolic and systolic blood pressure may indicate the significance of a plant therapy intervention measure for treating hypertensive vascular dementia (VaD) patients.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
Learning Objectives: Participants including, public health professionals, researchers and family caregivers are searching for new and innovated ways to sustain a healthy community by promoting healthy living among the aging population. Through the presentation and the dissemination of research data, participants attending the sessions will be able to identify and assess alternative healthy measures for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients who have less economic access to Health Care, and whose family is living below the poverty level. Participants will also be able to formulate a clearer perspective of some of the intervention programs that can be incorporated within the health care settings to provide affordable treatments for the social-well-being and the economic stability of the aging community. They will also be able to differentiate the effectiveness of the treatment and intervention programs. Participants with interest in the aging population will be able to evaluate and utilize the information disseminated during the presentation to design and implement program that are significant towards promoting healthy minds and bodies among the aging population in various communities.

Keywords: Aging, Community-Based Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have made presentations at national and regional conferences in the past. I am also a professor and have had various experience researching, teaching and conducting workshops locally and internationally.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, and Related Issues
See more of: Aging & Public Health