Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35228272›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2022

Non-pharmacological interventions to achieve blood pressure control in African patients: a systematic review.

Monique Cernota, Eric Sven Kroeber, Tamiru Demeke, Thomas Frese, Sefonias Getachew, Eva Johanna Kantelhardt, Etienne Ngeh Ngeh, Susanne Unverzagt

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Monique CernotaInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Center of Health Sciences, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg Medizinische Fakultät, Halle, Germany.
Eric Sven KroeberInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Center of Health Sciences, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg Medizinische Fakultät, Halle, Germany eric.kroeber@posteo.de.ORCID 0000-0002-7201-6023
Tamiru DemekeSchool of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Thomas FreseInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Center of Health Sciences, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg Medizinische Fakultät, Halle, Germany.
Sefonias GetachewSchool of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Eva Johanna KantelhardtInstitute for Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Informatics, Center of Health Sciences, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg Medizinische Fakultät, Halle, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-7935-719X
Etienne Ngeh NgehPhysiotherapy Department, Regional Hospital Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon.
Susanne UnverzagtInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Center of Health Sciences, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg Medizinische Fakultät, Halle, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0108-0415

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis systematic review aims to evaluate the evidence of non-pharmacological strategies to improve blood pressure (BP) control in patients with hypertension from African countries.

designWe performed a systematic review and searched Medline, Central, CINAHL and study registers until June 2020 for randomised studies on interventions to decrease BP of patients with hypertension in African countries. We assessed the study quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and narratively synthesised studies on non-pharmacological hypertension interventions.

settingWe included studies conducted in African countries.

participantsAdult African patients with a hypertension diagnosis.

interventionsStudies on non-pharmacological interventions aiming to improve BP control and treatment adherence. OUTCOMES: Main outcomes were BP and treatment adherence.

resultsWe identified 5564 references, included 23 with altogether 18 153 participants from six African countries. The studies investigated educational strategies to improve adherence (11 studies) and treatment by healthcare professionals (5 studies), individualised treatment strategies (2 studies), strategies on lifestyle including physical activity (4 studies) and modified nutrition (1 study). Nearly all studies on educational strategies stated improved adherence, but only three studies showed a clinically relevant improvement of BP control. All studies on individualised strategies and lifestyle changes resulted in clinically relevant effects on BP. Due to the type of interventions studied, risk of bias in domain blinding of staff/participants was frequent (83%). Though incomplete outcome data in 61% of the studies are critical, the general study quality was reasonable.

conclusionsThe identified studies offer diverse low-cost interventions including educative and task-shifting strategies, individualised treatment and lifestyle modifications to improve BP control. Especially trialled physical activity interventions show clinically relevant BP changes. All strategies were trialled in African countries and may be used for recommendations in evidence-based guidelines on hypertension in African settings. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018075062.

Indexed as

ExerciseAdultAfricaBlood PressureHumanshealthcarehypertensioninternal medicinepreventive medicineprimary carepublic healthquality in health care

Identifiers

PMID35228272
PMCPMC8886440

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.