Impact of a general practice nurse intervention to improve blood pressure control: The ImPress study.

Background And Objectives: Hypertension is a highly prevalent but often poorly controlled risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study examined the effectiveness of a general practice nurse (GPN) intervention to reduce blood pressure in adults with hypertension who are at high risk of CVD.

Method: A cluster randomised control trial was performed across 10 general practices. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure were evaluated at six and 12 months.

Results: The adjusted mean difference between intervention and control groups at six months was 8.1 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.92, 18.94 mmHg; P=0.146) for SBP and 0.18 mmHg (95% CI: -6.54, 4.91 mmHg; P=0.775) for DBP. The adjusted mean difference between groups at 12 months was 11.3 mmHg (95% CI: 1.18, 21.42 mmHg; P=0.030) for SBP and 7.1 mmHg (95% CI: -8.62, 22.90 mmHg; P=0.362) for DBP.

Discussion: Clinically significant between-group differences in mean SBP at six and 12 months provide evidence for GPNs to play a greater role in managing hypertension.