Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Black men have the greatest burden of premature death and disability from hypertension (HTN) in the United States, and the highest incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC). While several clinical trials have reported beneficial effects of lifestyle changes on blood pressure (BP) reduction, and improved CRC screening with patient navigation (PN), the effectiveness of these approaches in community-based settings remains understudied, particularly among Black men. METHODS/DESIGN: MISTER B is a two-parallel-arm randomized controlled trial that will compare the effect of a motivational interviewing tailored lifestyle intervention (MINT) versus a culturally targeted PN intervention on improvement of BP and CRC screening among black men aged >/=50 with uncontrolled HTN who are eligible for CRC screening. Approximately 480 self-identified black men will be randomly assigned to one of the two study conditions. This innovative research design allows each intervention to serve as the control for the other. Specifically, the MINT arm is the control condition for the PN arm, and vice-versa. This novel, simultaneous testing of two community-based interventions in a randomized fashion is an economical and yet rigorous strategy that also enhances the acceptability of the project. Participants will be recruited during scheduled screening events at barbershops in New York City. Trained research assistants will conduct the lifestyle intervention, while trained community health workers will deliver the PN intervention. The primary outcomes will be 1) within-patient change in systolic and diastolic BP from baseline to six months and 2) CRC screening rates at six months. DISCUSSION: This innovative study will provide a unique opportunity to test two interventions for two health disparities simultaneously in community-based settings. Our study is one of the first to test culturally targeted patient navigation for CRC screening among black men in barbershops. Thus, our study has the potential to improve the reach of hypertension control and cancer prevention efforts within a high-risk population that is under-represented in primary care settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01092078.

BACKGROUND: African Americans have higher rates of nocturnal hypertension and less nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping compared with whites. Although nocturnal hypertension is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, its clinical significance among those with normal daytime BP is unclear. This paper reports the prevalence and correlates of isolated nocturnal hypertension (INH) in a population-based cohort of African Americans enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). METHODS: The study sample included 425 untreated, normotensive and hypertensive JHS participants who underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), echocardiography, and 24-hour urine collection. Multiple logistic regression and 1-way analysis of variance models were used to test the hypothesis that those with INH have worse target organ damage reflected by greater left ventricular (LV) mass and proteinuria compared with normotensive participants. RESULTS: Based on 24-hour ABP profiles, 19.1% of participants had INH. In age and sex-adjusted models, participants with INH had greater LV mass compared with those who were normotensive (P = 0.02), as well as about 3 times the odds of LV hypertrophy and proteinuria (Ps < 0.10). However, multivariable adjustment reduced the magnitude and statistical significance of each of these differences. CONCLUSIONS: INH was associated with increased LV mass compared with normo tension in a population-based cohort of African Americans enrolled in the JHS. There were trends toward a greater likelihood of LV hyper trophy and proteinuria among participants with INH vs. those who were normotensive. The clinical significance of the noted target organ damage should be explored in this population.

BackgroundThe correlates of blood pressure (BP) control among hypertensive individuals who have access to care in community-based health-care settings are poorly characterized, particularly among minority and immigrant populations.MethodsUsing data extracted from electronic medical records in four federally qualified health centers in New York, we investigated correlates of hypertension (HTN) control in cross-sectional analyses. The sample consisted of adult, nonobstetric patients with a diagnosis of HTN and a clinic visit between June 2007 and October 2008 (n = 2,585).ResultsForty-nine percent of hypertensive patients had controlled BP at their last visit. Blacks had a higher prevalence of HTN (B, 32.8%; W, 16.2%; H, 11.5%) and were less likely to have controlled BP (B, 42.2%; W, 50.9%; H, 50.8%) compared with Hispanics and whites. Medication intensification did not differ by race/ethnicity. In multivariate analyses higher body mass index (BMI), black race, diabetes, fewer clinical encounters, and male gender were associated with poor BP control. However, when we applied the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee (JNC 7) definition for BP control for nondiabetic patients (systolic blood pressure (SBP) <140, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) <90) to all patients with HTN, we found no difference in BP control between those with and without diabetes.ConclusionsBlacks had poorer HTN control compared with whites and Hispanics. Significant discrepancies in BP control between hypertensive patients with and without diabetes may be related to a lack of provider adherence to JNC 7 guidelines that define BP control in this population as <130/80. Further research is needed to understand racial disparities in BP control as well as factors influencing clinician's management of BP among patients with diabetes.American Journal of Hypertension (2011). doi:10.1038/ajh.2011.154

BACKGROUND: Barbershop-based hypertension (HTN) outreach programs for black men are becoming increasingly common, but whether they are an effective approach for improving HTN control remains uncertain. METHODS: To evaluate whether a continuous high blood pressure (BP) monitoring and referral program conducted by barbers motivates male patrons with elevated BP to pursue physician follow-up, leading to improved HTN control, a cluster randomized trial (BARBER-1) of HTN control was conducted among black male patrons of 17 black-owned barbershops in Dallas County, Texas (March 2006-December 2008). Participants underwent 10-week baseline BP screening, and then study sites were randomized to a comparison group that received standard BP pamphlets (8 shops, 77 hypertensive patrons per shop) or an intervention group in which barbers continually offered BP checks with haircuts and promoted physician follow-up with sex-specific peer-based health messaging (9 shops, 75 hypertensive patrons per shop). After 10 months, follow-up data were obtained. The primary outcome measure was change in HTN control rate for each barbershop. RESULTS: The HTN control rate increased more in intervention barbershops than in comparison barbershops (absolute group difference, 8.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8%-16.9%]) (P = .04); the intervention effect persisted after adjustment for covariates (P = .03). A marginal intervention effect was found for systolic BP change (absolute group difference, -2.5 mm Hg [95% CI, -5.3 to 0.3 mm Hg]) (P = .08). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of BP screening on HTN control among black male barbershop patrons was improved when barbers were enabled to become health educators, monitor BP, and promote physician follow-up. Further research is warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00325533.

Resistant hypertension is common among adults with hypertension affecting up to 30% of patients. The treatment of resistant hypertension is important because suboptimal blood pressure control is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide. A frequent comorbid condition in patients with resistant hypertension is obstructive sleep apnea. The pathophysiology of sleep apnea-associated hypertension is characterized by sustained adrenergic activation and volume retention often posing treatment challenges in patients with resistant hypertension. This review will address some of the epidemiologic data associating apnea with the pathogenesis of resistant hypertension. Diagnosis and management of apnea and its associated hypertension will also be considered

The diagnosis of masked hypertension has been made easier with the widespread availability of home blood pressure monitoring devices with levels of accuracy comparable to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. The negative impact of masked hypertension on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is evidenced by numerous well-designed clinic-based and population-based studies. The relationship of masked hypertension and target organ damage is also well documented. These two factors, combined with the robust evidence of reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality achieved with blood pressure treatment, makes the argument for actively identifying patients with masked hypertension and prescribing treatment similar to that for patients with sustained hypertension. In this paper, we review the evidence for the cardiovascular prognosis of masked hypertension compared with sustained hypertension, we review its impact on target organ damage, we propose an algorithm for the treatment of patients with masked hypertension, and we point out the pitfalls in adopting such an approach