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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 13 March 2018

American Living:
Barbershop study trimmed black men’s hair and blood pressure

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE “Barbershops are a unique- he said. The new work in- under 130 over 80 — the pressures were down, ev-
AP Chief Medical Writer ly popular meeting place volved 303 men and 52 threshold for high blood ery single one of them,” he
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Trim for African-American men,” barbershops. One group pressure under new guide- said.
your hair, your beard, your and many have gone ev- of customers just got pam- lines adopted last fall. Only Marc Sims, a 43-year-old
blood pressure? Black men records clerk at a law firm,
reduced one of their big- is one. He didn’t know he
gest medical risks through had high pressure — 175
a novel project that shows over 125 — and the phar-
the power of familiar faces macist said he was at risk of
and trusted places to im- having a stroke.
prove health. “It woke me up,” said Sims,
The project had pharma- who has a young son. “All I
cists work with dozens of could think about was me
Los Angeles barbershops to having a stroke and not be-
test and treat clients. The ing here for him. It was time
results, reported Monday to get my health right.”
at a cardiology confer- Medicines lowered his pres-
ence, have doctors plan- sure to 125 over 95.
ning to expand the project Treatment doesn’t always
to more cities nationwide. mean medicines; healthier
“There’s open communi- lifestyles can do a lot. Poor
cation in a barbershop. diets, lack of exercise and
There’s a relationship, a other bad habits cause
trust,” said Eric Muham- most high blood pressure.
mad, owner of A New You The National Institutes of
Barbershop, one of the Health paid for the study.
barbers who participated. Results were discussed at
“We have a lot more influ- an American College of
ence than just the doctor Cardiology conference in
walking in the door.” Orlando and published by
Black men have high rates Barber Eric Muhammad, owner of A New You Barbershop, left, jokes with regular customer Marc the New England Journal of
of high blood pressure — a M. Sims before measuring his blood pressure in Inglewood, Calif. Black male customers at dozens Medicine.
top reading over 130 or a of Los Angeles area barbershops reduced one of their biggest health risks through a novel project The cost of doing this isn’t
bottom one over 80 — and that paired barbers and pharmacists to test and treat customers. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) really known. Victor now
the problems it can cause, aims to do a study of 3,000
such as strokes and heart ery other week to the same phlets and blood pressure 12 percent of the men who men in many cities around
attacks. Only half of Ameri- barber for many years, he tips while they were getting just got advice dropped to the country that will in-
cans with high pressure said. “It almost has a social haircuts. Another group that level. clude a look at that. He
have it under control; many club feel to it, a delightful, met with pharmacists in “This is a home run ... high- also hopes to tackle high
don’t even know they have friendly environment” that the barbershops and could touch medicine,” said one cholesterol with a similar
the condition. makes it ideal for improving get treatment if their blood independent expert, Ei- approach.
Churches, beauty salons health. pressure was high. leen Handberg, a heart The results show that “you
and other community spots Victor did a study in 17 Dal- At the start of the study, researcher at the Univer- don’t need cardiologists”
have been used to reach las barbershops a few years their top pressure number sity of Florida in Gainesville. to improve things, said
groups that often lack ac- ago. In that one, barbers averaged 154. After six Most drug trials only dream Dr. Willie Lawrence, an
cess to doctors, to promote tested patrons and referred months, it fell by 9 points for about such good results, American Heart Associa-
cancer screenings and them to doctors. Improve- customers just given advice yet they were achieved in tion spokesman and blood
other services. Dr. Ronald ments were modest. and by 27 points for those a regular community set- pressure specialist in Kan-
Victor, a cardiologist at In the new study, “we add- who saw pharmacists. ting, she said. sas City, Missouri. “We can
Cedars-Sinai Medical Cen- ed a pharmacist into the Nearly two-thirds of the Nineteen of Muhammad’s partner with others in the
ter, wanted to reach black mix” so medicines could men who saw pharmacists customers finished the pro- community and get this
men. be prescribed on the spot, lowered their pressure to gram, and “all their blood epidemic under control.”q