Research Question and Treatment

¶ … nature of hypertension, as well as methods of treatment using both drugs and alternative approaches. Ceral et al. (2011) focus on whether antihypertensive drugs are effective or if patients are simply not using them. They find that patients must adhere to recommended therapy in order for effects to be accurately measured. Inui et al. (1976) point out the importance of receiving and following physician tutorials. Green et al. (1975) likewise identify education for hypertensive patients as critical to effective therapy outcomes. Omran et al.

(2015) discuss the treatment of hypertensive patients with diabetes co-morbidity and find antihypertensive medication to be an effective medication management tool to a limited degree. Step 2: Briefly summarize the history and purpose of your research question. The history and purpose of the research question is whether hypertensive medications or more effective than holistic approaches to hypertension in helping patients to alleviate symptoms and reduce hypertension related risks to health.

With the rise of holistic medicine over the past few decades and with health care services costs increasing and becoming increasingly questionable in terms of coverage (deductibles and premiums have both risen in most states), many patients are looking for alternative avenues to treatment. The question this paper proposes is whether patients suffering from hypertension are more likely to receive better therapeutic results from antihypertensive drugs than from holistic care. Step 3: Analysis of strengths and weaknesses of existing literature.

The strengths of the existing literature are that there are many studies that focus on the treatment of hypertension. However, the weaknesses are that they often proceed from the assumption that a pharmaceutical response to high blood pressure is the most appropriate or most acceptable form of treatment. There is little discussion in most of the studies that focus on pharmacology regarding alternative medicinal treatments of hypertension or the possibility of alternative methods being preferred by patients as opposed to drug options.

Step 4: What gap exists in the current literature? Explain. There is a gap in the existing literature comparing pharmaceutical treatment of hypertension with holistic treatment, such as Chinese traditional medicine, which utilizes foods, spices, soups, etc. in the treatment of physical ailments. There is literature regarding holistic treatment of hypertension: Xiong, Yan, Liu et al. (2013) discuss Chinese herbal formulas for treating hypertension in traditional Chinese medicine.