Conclusion
CVDs, hypertension
HYPERTENSION
The present review organizing evidence on housing and BP control indicated that housing has great potential for the prevention of hypertension in winter and the mitigation of EWM due to CVDs. We recommend life-environment improvements as well as lifestyle modifications to gain the additional benefit of decreasing patients with hypertension and CVDs. At present, as a target of life-environment improvements, 18 °C is widely accepted in general. However, it should be personalized depending on characteristics of residents because our evidence showed that vulnerability to indoor temperature was significantly different in each population group (e.g., age, gender). As a means of life-environment improvements, thermal insulation retrofit of houses was effective for a reduction in BP. We believe that the combination of insulation retrofit and appropriate heating use further enhance the importance of life-environment improvements in BP control.