Video: Patients can treat blood pressure without leaving their home

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SEATTLE - Nearly one out of three adults in the United States has high blood pressure, but most aren't getting the treatment they need. Local doctors have found there may be a better way that goes beyond taking a pill.

Paul Johnson had no warning signs when his blood pressure suddenly skyrocketed.

"I think the highest initial values that I can remember my blood pressure being were a 185 maybe 190 over 95. And yes that worried me a great deal," said Johnson.

So Johnson enrolled in a Group Health study to find out if monitoring his blood pressure at home, combined with e-mailing a registered pharmacist, could help bring his hypertension under control.

"We proved in this trial that you can actually use Web communications that patients don't have to come in," said Dr. Beverly Green, family physician with Group Health. "They can use the Internet to receive care."

Eight-hundred men and women were divided into three groups. One group received usual care. Two groups were given a home blood pressure monitor to measure their blood pressure at least four times per week, with training on a patient Web site. One of the groups also communicated by e-mail with a registered pharmacist every two weeks.

"When we do ask patients to work on exercise or diet or make a change in their medication they were able to see that it did have a positive influence," said Danette Fueling, registered pharmacist.

"When you go into the doctor's office, you only get one or two readings and that may not be your usual blood pressure," said Green.

At the end of twelve months, 56 percent of those who took blood pressure readings at home and had regular e-mail contact with a pharmacist brought their blood pressure under control, compared to only 31 percent of patients who received usual care.

Interestingly enough, patients in the e-mail group with the most severe hypertension had the best results of all. The study appears in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.