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Community Outreach to African-Americans: Implementations for Controlling Hypertension

  • Implementation to Increase Blood Pressure Control: What Works? (J Brettler and K Reynolds, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this review is to examine the impact and effectiveness of community interventions for controlling hypertension in African-Americans. The questions addressed are as follows: Which salient prior and current community efforts focus on African-Americans and are most effective in controlling hypertension and patient-related outcomes? How are these efforts implemented and possibly sustained?

Recent Findings

The integration of out-of-office blood pressure measurements, novel hypertension control centers (i.e., barbershops), and community health workers improve hypertension control and may reduce the excess hypertension-related complications in African-Americans. Several community-based interventions may assist effectiveness of clinical care teams, decrease care barriers, and improve adherence.

Summary

A multifaceted, tailored, multidisciplinary community-based approach may effectively reduce barriers to blood pressure control among African-Americans. Future research should evaluate the long-term benefits of community health workers, barbershops as control centers, and out-of-office blood pressure monitoring upon control and eventually on morbidity and mortality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Research & Leadership, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, USA

    Samar A. Nasser

  2. Tulane Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, #SL-8548, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA

    Keith C. Ferdinand

Authors
  1. Samar A. Nasser
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  2. Keith C. Ferdinand
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Correspondence to Keith C. Ferdinand.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this manuscript.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Implementation to Increase Blood Pressure Control: What Works?

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Nasser, S.A., Ferdinand, K.C. Community Outreach to African-Americans: Implementations for Controlling Hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep 20, 33 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-018-0834-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-018-0834-6

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