Faculty Bibliography

Study Objectives: To assess effectiveness of a culturally and linguistically tailored telephone-delivered intervention to increase adherence to physician-recommended evaluation and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among blacks. Methods: In a two-arm randomized controlled trial, we evaluated effectiveness of the tailored intervention among blacks with metabolic syndrome, relative to those in an attention control arm (n = 380; mean age = 58 +/- 13; female = 71%). The intervention was designed to enhance adherence using culturally and linguistically tailored OSA health messages delivered by a trained health educator based on patients' readiness to change and unique barriers preventing desired behavior changes. Results: Analysis showed 69.4% of the patients in the intervention arm attended initial consultation with a sleep specialist, compared to 36.7% in the control arm; 74.7% of those in the intervention arm and 66.7% in the control arm completed diagnostic evaluation; and 86.4% in the intervention arm and 88.9% in the control arm adhered to PAP treatment based on subjective report. Logistic regression analyses adjusting for sociodemographic factors indicated patients in the intervention arm were 3.17 times more likely to attend initial consultation, compared to those in the control arm. Adjusted models revealed no significant differences between the two arms regarding adherence to OSA evaluation or treatment. Conclusion: The intervention was successful in promoting importance of sleep consultation and evaluation of OSA among blacks, while there was no significant group difference in laboratory-based evaluation and treatment adherence rates. It seems that the fundamental barrier to OSA care in that population may be the importance of seeking OSA care.

BACKGROUND: Clinical guidelines recommend using predicted atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk to inform treatment decisions. The objective was to compare the contribution of changes in modifiable risk factors versus aging to the development of high 10-year predicted ASCVD risk. METHODS AND RESULTS: A prospective follow-up was done of the Jackson Heart Study, an exclusively black cohort at visit 1 (2000-2004) and visit 3 (2009-2012). Analyses included 1115 black participants without high 10-year predicted ASCVD risk (<7.5%), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or ASCVD at visit 1. We used the Pooled Cohort equations to calculate the incidence of high (>/=7.5%) 10-year predicted ASCVD risk at visit 3. We recalculated the percentage with high 10-year predicted ASCVD risk at visit 3 assuming each risk factor (age, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication use, diabetes mellitus, smoking, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), one at a time, did not change from visit 1. The mean age at visit 1 was 45.2+/-9.5 years. Overall, 30.9% (95% CI 28.3-33.4%) of participants developed high 10-year predicted ASCVD risk. Aging accounted for 59.7% (95% CI 54.2-65.1%) of the development of high 10-year predicted ASCVD risk compared with 32.8% (95% CI 27.0-38.2%) for increases in systolic blood pressure or antihypertensive medication initiation and 12.8% (95% CI 9.6-16.5%) for incident diabetes mellitus. Among participants <50 years, the contribution of increases in systolic blood pressure or antihypertensive medication initiation was similar to aging. CONCLUSIONS: Increases in systolic blood pressure and antihypertensive medication initiation are major contributors to the development of high 10-year predicted ASCVD risk in blacks, particularly among younger adults.

Blacks are especially susceptible to hypertension( HTN) and its associated organ damage leading to adverse cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal outcomes. Accordingly, HTN is particularly significant in contributing to the black-white racial differences in health outcomes in the US. As such, in order to address these health disparities, practical clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on how to treat HTN, specifically in blacks, are needed. This review article is a timely addition to the literature because the most recent U.S. CPG more explicitly emphasizes race into the algorithmic management of HTN. However, recent clinical research cautions that use of race as a proxy to determine therapeutic response to pharmaceutical agents may be erroneous. This review will address the implications of the use of race in the hypertension CPGs. We will review the rationale behind the introduction of race into the U.S. CPG and the level of evidence that was available to justify this introduction. Finally, we will conclude with practical considerations in the treatment of HTN in blacks.

OBJECTIVE: Neighborhood-level poverty and racial composition may contribute to racial disparities in hypertension outcomes. Little is known about how the effects of neighborhood social environments may differ by nativity status among diverse urban Black adults. We aimed to characterize the influence of neighborhood-level socio-demographic factors on hypertension outcomes among US- and foreign-born Black men with uncontrolled blood pressure. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from two large community-based trials of hypertensive Black men aged 50 and over linked with census tract data from the 2012 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. We defined census tracts with high racial segregation as those where 60 % or more self-identified as Black and high-poverty census tracts as those where 20 % or more lived below the poverty line. Multivariable general estimating equation models were used to measure associations between neighborhood characteristics and stage of hypertension, hypertension awareness, and treatment to yield adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR). Models were run separately for US- and foreign-born Black men. RESULTS: Over 64 % of the 1139 participants lived in a census tract with a high percentage of Black residents and over 71 % lived in high-poverty census tracts. Foreign-born Black men living in neighborhoods with a high concentration of Black residents were less likely to be treated for their high blood pressure (aPR 0.44, 95 % CI 0.22-0.88), but this result did not hold for US-born Black men. There were no significant associations between neighborhood poverty and hypertension outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Neighborhood context may impact treatment for hypertension, one of the most important factors in hypertension control and decreasing hypertension-related mortality, particularly among foreign-born Black men.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Stroke is a leading cause of premature death and disability, and increasing the proportion of individuals who are aware of stroke symptoms is a target objective of the Healthy people 2020 project. METHODS: We used data from the 2014 Supplement of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to assess the prevalence of stroke symptom knowledge and awareness. We also tested, using a logistic regression model, the hypothesis that individuals who have knowledge of all 5 stroke symptoms will be have a greater likelihood to activate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) if a stroke is suspected. RESULTS: From the 36,697 participants completing the survey 51% were female. In the entire sample, the age-adjusted awareness rate of stroke symptoms/calling 911 was 66.1%. Knowledge of the 5 stroke symptoms plus importance of calling 911 when a stroke is suspected was higher for females, Whites, and individuals with health insurance. Stroke awareness was lowest for Hispanics, Blacks, and survey participants from Western US region. CONCLUSION: The findings allude to continuing differences in the knowledge of stroke symptoms across race/ethnic and other demographic groups. Further research will confirm the importance of increased health literacy for Stroke management and prevention in minority communities.

Masked hypertension, defined as nonelevated clinic blood pressure (BP) with elevated out-of-clinic BP, has been associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in Europeans and Asians. Few data are available on masked hypertension and CVD and mortality risk among blacks. We analyzed data from the Jackson Heart Study, a prospective cohort study of blacks. Analyses included participants with clinic-measured systolic/diastolic BP <140/90 mm Hg who completed ambulatory BP monitoring after the baseline examination in 2000 to 2004 (n=738). Masked daytime (10:00 am-8:00 pm) hypertension was defined as mean ambulatory systolic/diastolic BP >/=135/85 mm Hg. Masked nighttime (midnight to 6:00 am) hypertension was defined as mean ambulatory systolic/diastolic BP >/=120/70 mm Hg. Masked 24-hour hypertension was defined as mean systolic/diastolic BP >/=130/80 mm Hg. CVD events (nonfatal/fatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or fatal coronary heart disease) and deaths identified through December 2010 were adjudicated. Any masked hypertension (masked daytime, nighttime, or 24-hour hypertension) was present in 52.2% of participants; 28.2%, 48.2% and 31.7% had masked daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour hypertension, respectively. There were 51 CVD events and 44 deaths during a median follow-up of 8.2 and 8.5 years, respectively. CVD rates per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval) in participants with and without any masked hypertension were 13.5 (9.9-18.4) and 3.9 (2.2-7.1), respectively. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for CVD was 2.49 (1.26-4.93) for any masked hypertension and 2.86 (1.59-5.13), 2.35 (1.23-4.50), and 2.52 (1.39-4.58) for masked daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour hypertension, respectively. Masked hypertension was not associated with all-cause mortality. Masked hypertension is common and associated with increased risk for CVD events in blacks.

Introduction: Older age is generally characterized by increased risk for chronic conditions, such as obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension, and significant changes in sleep patterns. It is unclear whether sleep duration (short or long sleep), contributes to chronic conditions differentially contrasting retirees (> 65 years) and non-retirees (18-65 years). Methods: The study utilized data from the 2004-2013 National Health Interview Survey. NHIS applies a stratified multistage sample survey of the resident civilian non-institutionalized US population. Respondents provided sociodemographic and physician-diagnosed chronic conditions. We defined an unhealthy cohort as a subset of the retired population who reported at least one of four chronic conditions: obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension. The healthy cohort included individuals who reported none of these conditions. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20. Results: Of the sample, 56.4% of the retirees were female and 81.7% were white. Among non-retirees, 52.0% were female and 76.5% were white. Non-retirees and retirees had an average sleep duration of 7.08 and 7.49, respectively (p < .01). Adjusted logistic regression analysis indicated that overall retirees were less likely to report short sleep (< 7hrs) [OR = .92, 95%CI = .89-.95, p8hrs) [OR = 1.89, 95%CI = 1.801.98, p < .01] compared to non-retirees. Healthy retirees had a 41% greater odds of reporting long sleep, but were no more or less likely to report short sleep, compared to non-retirees. Unhealthy retirees had a two-fold greater odds of reporting long sleep, but 5% lower odds of reporting short sleep, relative to non-retirees. Conclusion: Retirees had a higher mean sleep duration and were characterized by significantly greater odds of long sleep compared to non-retirees regardless of health status. Although retirees overall were more likely to report long sleep, those with 1 or more chronic health conditions had greater odds of reporting long sleep duration compared to healthy retirees

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Psychological conditions are increasingly linked with cardiovascular disorders. We aimed to examine the association between psychological distress and hypertension. METHODS: We used data from the National Health Interview Survey for 2004-2013. Hypertension was self-reported and the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale was used to assess psychological distress (a score >/=13 indicated distress). We used a logistic regression model to test the assumption that hypertension was associated with psychological distress. RESULTS: Among the study participants completing the survey (n = 288,784), 51% were female; the overall mean age (+/-SEM) was 35.3 +/- 0.02 years and the mean body mass index was 27.5 +/- 0.01. In the entire sample, the prevalence of psychological distress was 3.2%. The adjusted odds of reporting hypertension in psychologically distressed individuals was 1.53 (95% CI = 1.31-1.80, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that psychological distress is associated with higher odds of hypertension after adjusting for other risk factors for high blood pressure. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to elucidate the mechanisms by which stress increases hypertension risk.

Previous research has highlighted the salience of spatial stigma on the lives of low-income residents, but has been theoretical in nature and/or has predominantly utilised qualitative methods with limited generalisability and ability to draw associations between spatial stigma and measured cardiovascular health outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate relationships between perceived spatial stigma, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure among a sample of low-income housing residents in New York City (NYC). Data come from the community-based NYC Low-income Housing, Neighborhoods and Health Study. We completed a crosssectional analysis with survey data, which included the four items on spatial stigma, as well objectively measured BMI and blood pressure data (analytic n=116; 96.7% of the total sample). Global positioning systems (GPS) tracking of the sample was conducted for a week. In multivariable models (controlling for individual-level age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level, employment status, total household income, neighborhood percent non-Hispanic Black and neighborhood median household income) we found that participants who reported living in an area with a bad neighborhood reputation had higher BMI (B=4.2, 95%CI: -0.01, 8.3, P=0.051), as well as higher systolic blood pressure (B=13.2, 95%CI: 3.2, 23.1, P=0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (B=8.5, 95%CI: 2.8, 14.3, P=0.004). In addition, participants who reported living in an area with a bad neighborhood reputation had increased risk of obesity/overweight [relative risk (RR)=1.32, 95%CI: 1.1, 1.4, P=0.02) and hypertension/pre-hypertension (RR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.2, 2.4, P=0.007). However, we found no differences in spatial mobility (based GPS data) among participants who reported living in neighborhoods with and without spatial stigma (P>0.05). Further research is needed to investigate how placebased stigma may be associated with impaired cardiovascular health among individuals in stigmatised neighborhoods to inform effective cardiovascular risk reduction interventions.