Treatment in the Hypertension Prevention Trial

The Hypertension Prevention Trial (HPT) was a randomized, controlled, multicenter (four clinics, four resource centers) trial designed to test the feasibility of achieving and sustaining dietary changes in the intake of calories, sodium, and potassium and to assess the effect of those changes on blood pressure in a normotensive population. The trial involved 841 men and women (plus a test cohort of 78) who, at the first baseline (BL) examination were in the age range of 25-49 years and had diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥76 but <100 mm Hg (average of two readings), and at the examination prior to randomization (BL 2), had DBP ≥78 but <90 mm Hg (also averaged). Participants were randomly assigned to a control treatment group (no dietary counseling) or to one of four dietary treatment groups involving counseling designed to reduce calorie intake, reduce sodium intake, reduce sodium and calorie intake, and reduce sodium and increase potassium intake. This chapter describes the counseling methods employed to help participants achieve the desired dietary changes. Counseling was provided to groups by trained interventionists and included instruction in food selection, food preparation, and behavior management skills. Counseling groups met weekly for the first 10 weeks of the trial, twice the following month, and bimonthly thereafter. Techniques used in the counseling program included group discussions, instructions for dietary record keeping, goal setting, individual diet analysis for each participant, cooking demonstrations, and taste testing of new foods.