Introduction This study evaluated the effect of a 6-month health intervention program conducted from 2003 to 2008 for hypertensive men in Japan.

Methods The subjects, volunteers aged 50–75 years, were divided into 45 and 25 men for the intervention and control groups, respectively. We performed dietary and exercise education five times for the intervention group and conducted two health checkups for both groups. We compared lifestyle, and physical and mental health criteria at baseline, and immediately after the intervention.

Results During the 6-month intervention, the follow-up rates were 97.8% and 76.0% in the intervention and control groups, respectively. At the baseline, there were no differences in physical status or lifestyles between the intervention and control groups. After the program, no significant change was shown in the urinary excretion ratio of Na/K in the control group (3.5–3.2, p=0.768), but a significant decrease was demonstrated in the intervention group (2.6–2.2, p=0.023). The exercise habit, a walk of more than 30 min everyday, increased significantly in the intervention group. No significant change in the mean systolic or diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) was shown in the control group (149.3–147.0, p=0.199, 89.2–87.5, p=0.171), but the intervention group showed a significant decrease (151.0–146.0, p=0.034, 93.5–88.6, p<0.001).

Conclusion In the intervention group, dietary and exercise habits were improved by health education, and the Na/K ratio and blood pressure significantly decreased for the next 1-year period.