The Effects of Long-Term Nutrition Counseling According to the Behavioral Modification Stages in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

Background: the behavioral modification stages (BMS) are widely used; however, there are no reports on long-term nutrition counseling for cardiovascular disease (CVD) according to BMS. Aim: to study the effects of long-term nutrition counseling based on the BMS in patients with CVD. Methods: fifteen patients with CVD who participated in nutrition counseling were enrolled between June 2012 and December 2016. We provided BMS and dietary questionnaires to estimate the stage score (SS), salt intake, and drinking habits (non-drinking group (n = 7)/drinking group (n = 8)), and measured the blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), and biochemical markers before and after hospitalization at 6 months, 1 year, and 1.5 years after leaving the outpatient department (OPD). Results: a significant decreased salt intake and increase in SS were found at 1.5 years. It significantly decreased the BP and salt intake in the non-drinking group at 1.5 years. Conclusions: long-term nutrition counseling according to BMS improved salt intake and BP in the non-drinking group. However, in the drinking group, increased salt intake might weaken the BP improvement. Temperance and low-sodium intake are essential factors that control BP, especially in drinkers.