Table 1

The important ingredients to implementing any lifestyle measure in hypertension

  1. Choose effective measures that are supported by convincing scientific evidence

  2. Tailor these to the patient

  3. Prioritise the chosen interventions

  4. Set realistic targets and milestones

  5. Communicate the rationale, methodology and expectations and negotiate goals

  6. Prescribe specifically

  7. Monitor against the agreed goals

  8. Facilitate the first steps and provide encouragement and support thereafter