PES Statements for Hypertension - Dietitian Direction

Introduction to PES Statements

PES statements are structured sentences used by dietitians to communicate the nutrition diagnosis of a patient. They are part of the second step of the Nutrition Care Process.

Writing a PES Statement

PES statements are written as follows:

[Problem/nutrition diagnosis] related to [Etiology], as evidenced by [Signs/symptoms].

Potential Nutrition Diagnoses for Hypertension

Excessive energy intake
Excessive oral intake
Excessive intake of sodium
Overweight/obesity
Self monitoring deficit
Physical inactivity
Food and nutrition related knowledge deficit

PES Statements for Hypertension Examples

Excessive energy intake related to consumption of calorically dense foods as evidenced by regular intake of pizza, juice and whole milk, BMI of 37.1.

Excessive oral intake related to cultural and social norms of the family as evidenced by eating until uncomfortably full, having multiple meat servings at dinner.

Excessive sodium intake related to reliance on convenience and fast foods as evidenced by an average intake of 4343 mg sodium daily, ankle edema and elevated blood pressure readings.

Obesity Class III related to physical inactivity as evidenced by an average of 2000 steps per day, BMI of 47.1.

Physical inactivity related to knowledge deficit of health benefits of physical activity as evidenced by patient reported no structured physical activity, significant sedentary time.

Food and nutrition related knowledge deficit related to limited previous nutrition education as evidenced by consumption of meals with >1000 mg sodium, home blood pressure readings as high as 150/90.

Limited adherence to nutrition related recommendations related to cognitive deficit as evidenced by patient not being able to teach-back information on the DASH diet.

Quick Tips for Writing the Perfect Hypertension PES Statement

Use information gathered in the assessment to determine the nutrition problem
The nutrition diagnosis should ideally be resolved, or at least improved, through a nutrition intervention provided by the dietitian
PES statements should be clear and concise

More Information on PES Statements

Do you need further information about PES statements? Check out these other blog posts:

What is a PES Statement?

Nutrition Diagnosis: Definition & Examples

Nutrition Care Process Steps

Conclusion

Patients with high blood pressure can have a wide variety of nutrition problems, etiologies and signs and symptoms. There is no “right” or “wrong” PES statement, but make sure yours is specific to the patient, using the data you collected in your assessment.

Note that the 2023 edition of the Nutrition Care Process Terminology (eNCP) is used, which is the most current version at the time of this article being published.