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Posts tagged as “high blood pressure in African-American community”

Hypertension Study Based in African-American Barbershops Honored By Clinical Research Forum For Saving Lives

Barber Eric Muhammad takes patron Marc Sims’ blood pressure at his Inglewood, CA shop A New You. (Photo by Cedars-Sinai)

The Clinical Research Forum recognized the Cedars-Sinai’s Smidt Heart Institute with a 2019 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award for its study aimed at developing a blood-pressure control program for African-American men in the comfortable and convenient environments of their barbershops.

In just six short months, the study – first published in the New England Journal of Medicine and led by the late hypertension expert Ronald G. Victor, MD – improved the outcomes and control of high blood pressure in more than 60 percent of participants.

The 12-month data published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Circulation backs up the results, proving that a pharmacist-led, barbershop-based medical intervention can successfully lower blood pressure in African-American men who face a higher risk of disability and premature death due to uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Not only are black men disproportionately affected by hypertension, they’re also the least likely population to seek treatment.

Nearly 64% of the study participants who worked with their barber and a pharmacist at the barbershop were able to lower their blood pressure.

Barber Eric Muhammad says that’s one reason he was so enthusiastic about the study. He’d hosted other single-day awareness events about hypertension, but Dr. Victor’s study aimed to find a long-term solution for treating high blood pressure.

“High blood pressure has cost the lives and health of a lot of good men,” Muhammad said. “What’s different about this study is it looks at bringing down blood pressure by using the men’s community—their friends, family, and support group.”

The collaboration between physicians, pharmacists and barbers showed that medical intervention in neighborhood settings can profoundly improve the health of hard-to-reach, underserved communities. Cedars-Sinai was nominated for the award by researchers at UCLA, the University of California, Los Angeles.

Actor Lamman Rucker Brings Awareness To Hypertension in Black Community via American Heart Association Campaign

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Actor Lamman Rucker joined Roland Martin on NewsOne Now to discuss the American Heart Association Blood Pressure Awareness Campaign as well as some of his upcoming projects. 

According to the American Heart Association, more than 40 percent of Blacks in the U.S. have high blood pressure (compared to about 30% of U.S. adults in the general population).

“If you’re African American, there’s a good chance that you, a relative or an African American friend has the disease, which is also known as HBP or hypertension. Not only is HBP more severe in blacks than whites, but it also develops earlier in life.”

Rucker told Maritn, “we actually are experiencing high blood pressure at higher levels than the average” demographic of Americans.

“We’re dying at a greater rate from high blood pressure — it being the leading risk factor heart disease and stroke which are the leading causes of death and disability in the country.”

Later on in their discussion on hypertension in the the African American community, Rucker explained that one of the major initiatives of the American Heart Association Blood Pressure Awareness Campaign is a simple mantra of “check, change and control.”

He continued, “Get your blood pressure checked regularly, change your habits — so sometimes even if your habit is stop not getting checked, start getting checked.”

Rucker suggested individuals who are suffering from high blood pressure or are unsure of what their blood pressure is to change their eating habits, get up and exercise and start trying to live a more healthier, active lifestyle.

“There are some really minor changes that you can make which will make the most impact on your life,” said Rucker.

To see the video of this conversation, click here.

article via newsone.com