RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effects of Labeling Patients as Prehypertensive
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 571
OP 583
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2010.05.100047
VO 23
IS 5
A1 Viera, Anthony J.
A1 Lingley, Kara
A1 Esserman, Denise
YR 2010
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/23/5/571.abstract
AB Background: Labeling patients as hypertensive has some negative effects. The effects of being labeled as having prehypertension are unknown. We examined whether the label of prehypertension exerts a negative effect on patients’ perceived health and whether it motivates people to adopt lifestyle recommendations to prevent hypertension.Methods: We randomized 97 prehypertensive adults to either a labeling message or a generic (no label) message. At 3 months we assessed self-reports of change in perceived health and reported adoption of lifestyle recommendations to try to prevent hypertension.Results: Except for more participants with asthma in the label group, the 2 groups were similar at baseline. Among the 70 participants who provided 3-month follow-up data, 18 people (56%) in the no-label group and 22 people (58%) in the label group reported their health as the same; 13 people (41%) in the no label group and 16 people (42%) in the label group reported health as better; and 1 person (in no label group) reported his health as worse. At 3 months there were no differences in reports of changing eating habits (risk ratio [RR], 1.06; 95% CI, 0.86–1.31), cutting down on salt (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.84–1.15), reducing alcohol intake (RR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.80–1.90), or exercising (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.91–1.51) to try to prevent hypertension.Conclusion: Being labeled as prehypertensive seems to exert neither harmful nor helpful effects.