Nonpharmacologic interventions in prevention and treatment of hypertension

Hypertension contributes to high rates of mortality and morbidity in both developing and developed countries. It predisposes individuals to several chronic diseases including stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Predisposing factors such as sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy dietary habits, and physical inactivity are associated with its growing prevalence over the years. Besides social-economic factors, increased incidence of diabetes and obesity as well as modernized lifestyles plays important roles in the growing prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension, in particular in developing countries. Currently, despite availability of several antihypertensive drugs, attaining an adequate blood pressure control is still a challenge. This can be attributed to several factors. For example, many of the existing antihypertensive agents do not modulate oxidative stress, which is an important pathophysiologic pathway for the development of hypertension and several of its complications. Poor medication adherence, reduced drug effectiveness, drug unaffordability or unavailability, and side/adverse effects of medications are additional important obstacles that weigh significantly in our ability to control the disease. To address some of these limitations, attention has been paid in recent years to the use of various nonpharmacologic interventions as a more viable alternative to treat the disease. This special issue reports on the current status of nonpharmacologic approaches taken thus far across the world, in the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Several contributions were received from researchers in most of the continents. After stringent and thorough reviewing process, nine manuscripts (six original research, one clinical study, and two review articles) were accepted for publication.