Make every contact count by opportunistically asking about behavioural risk factors for high blood pressure
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an all-Wales approach to behaviour change, utilising day-to-day interactions, to support people to make positive changes that improve their physical and mental health and well-being.
Consider encouraging practice staff to acquire MECC skills. For MECC e-learning (to level 1), see here [ESR or other login/ registration required]. For MECC training contacts by health board, see here [intranet].
Brief intervention by staff in regular contact with people who could use some support to make informed choices is promoted by NICE guidance (PH49).
Utilise opportunities to discuss and address smoking (BRF-001), unhealthy diet (BRF-002), physical inactivity (BRF-003) and alcohol misuse (BRF-004).
Reducing behavioural risk factors lowers BP (BMJ2016;355:i5719): Diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy with reduced fat intake: 8-14 mmHg decrease in systolic BP; Regular aerobic activity at least 30 minutes a day: 4-9 mmHg; No more than 2400 mg (ideally 1600 mg) of sodium daily: 2-8 mmHg; Max 2 oz ethanol/ day (men) 1 oz ethanol/ day (women): 2-4 mmHg; Achieve/ maintain BMI of 18.5-24.9: 3 mmHg per 4-8% bodyweight reduction.
A 3 g reduction in daily salt intake (a reasonably conservative estimate of what could be achieved) would reduce systolic blood pressure by approximately 2 mmHg (NICE PH25; 2010).