Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on psychological and physiological status of hypertension patients in community

Abstract

Objective To investigate the influence of psychological intervention in emotional disorder on blood pressure, lipids and glucose in hypertensive patients in community. Methods 599 hypertensive in community were divided to intervention group (n=302) and control group (n=297) by randomization. The control group received routine medication.Additionally the intervention group got another psychological intervention which lasted 6 months. An SCL-90 scale was adopted to evaluate patients' psychological change of mental health, blood sugar, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, systolic pressure and diastolic blood pressure before and after treatment. Results Somatization, compulsion, interpersonal relationship, depression, anxiety, hostility and terror in intervention group((1.44±0.29), (1.78±0.39), (1.66±0.38), (1.63±0.48), (1.43±0.35), (1.37±0.52)and(1.28±0.41) respectively)had a lower score than control group((2.01±0.59), (2.04±0.68), (1.88±0.38), (1.84±0.59), (1.92±0.54), (1.61±0.53)and(1.60±0.50)). The differences were significant(P<0.01). After intervention, blood glucose, low density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, systolic pressure, and diastolic pressure were((4.65±0.811)mmol/L, (2.97±0.702)mmol/L, (4.86±0.884)mmol/L, (134.11±13.39)mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) and (93.73±7.61)mm Hg respectively) and before intervention((5.09±0.710)mmol/L, (3.23±0.584)mmol/L, (5.36±1.138)mmol/L, (150.13±12.23)mm Hg and (89.64±8.35)mm Hg respectively). The differences were significant(P<0.05). Conclusion Cognitive behavioral therapy can improve community hypertension patients’ physiology and psychology, which is good for blood pressure, lipids, glucose control. Key words: Cognitive behavioral therapy; Hypertension; Physiology; Psychology