ACC Day 3: Finishing strong in Late-Breaking Clinical Trial Sessions

March 8, 2018|Cardiology News

On the third and final day of the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, two very different studies were emphasized by the meeting’s vice chair, Andrew Kates, MD, in a media briefing: Blood Pressure Reductions in Black Barbershops and ANNEXA 4.

Blood Pressure Reductions in Black Barbershops

Ronald G. Victor, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, has been studying the considerable strength of barbershops in African American communities for years. In the joint ACC/New England Journal of Medicine Late-Breaking Clinical Trial Session, 8:00 a.m.-9:15 a.m. in the Main Tent, Dr. Victor and will present such a study of 330 patients in 53 barbershops.

In the study, barbers in those 53 shops were trained to measure clients’ blood pressure and refer those with high readings to a community pharmacist for confirmation of uncontrolled high blood pressure and development of a hypertension management plan. The primary outcome is a 6-month blood pressure reading of less than 135/85 mm Hg.

“This stood out for highlighting because we’re now realizing the importance of barbershops in the community” in education and perhaps improving treatment. The data may reinforce the use of barbershops to improve hypertension,” said Dr. Kates, professor of medicine, Washington University, St. Louis.