Health behaviors for hypertension management in people with and without coexisting diabetes.

Since blood pressure (BP) control is less often achieved by individuals with diabetes, the authors sought to determine whether receipt of and adherence to health behavior advice for hypertension control differs between people with and without diabetes, using data from the 2009 Survey on Living With Chronic Diseases in Canada. Individuals with coexisting diabetes were more likely to report receiving advice to control/lose weight (81% vs 66%), be physically active (79% vs 68%), limit alcohol consumption (78% vs 55%), and modify diet (70% vs 61%) but not limit dietary salt (65% vs 64%) compared with individuals with hypertension alone (n=4.965). People with and without diabetes were equally likely to report following the advice they received, with receipt of advice positively associated with engagement in healthy behaviors. Since receipt of advice appears to influence behavior, health professionals should be encouraged to further promote BP self-management strategies.