Goal: Our main goal is to improve racial disparities in cardiovascular health outcomes for patients living in Baltimore, Maryland through a multi-pronged approach which includes studies to improve the health care of patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

Strategies: We are employing community-based participatory research principles to build strong ties among researchers, community members, health care provider networks, and health care policy makers. By obtaining feedback from these community stakeholders, we will develop tailored interventions designed to have a sustainable impact on cardiovascular disease disparities in Baltimore.

Work: In addition to ongoing engagement of community stakeholders, the center will conduct three separate but complimentary studies (conducted from 2010-2015) to improve identification, treatment, and outcomes of African Americans with hypertension:

1. Multi-method Quality Improvement Intervention to Reduce Hypertension Disparities
Principal Investigator: Lisa A. Cooper, MD, MPH

• Pragmatic trial to study health system and clinic level factors that affect implementation, quality improvement (QI) and reduction in disparities.
• Setting: 6 community-based practices, Baltimore MD
• Main Outcomes: implementation rates, guideline-concordant care, racial disparities in blood pressure control, sustainability

2. Patient, Family and Community Intervention to Improve Hypertension Control
Principal Investigator: L. Ebony Boulware, MD, MPH

• Randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of self-management and problem-solving training for patients, family, and community members.
• Setting: Urban community primary care practice located in Urban East Baltimore
• Main Outcomes: hypertension control, direct and indirect costs of intervention, sustainability

3. Tailored Dietary Advice or Mineral Supplements to Lower Blood Pressure
Principal Investigator: Edgar R. Miller, MD, MPH

• Three-arm randomized controlled trial to compare dietitian-delivered nutritional advice tailored to neighborhood food resources to a mineral supplement containing potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C plus printed dietary advice or printed dietary advice alone.
• Setting: Urban primary care clinic in East Baltimore
• Main Outcomes: Change in 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure at 8 weeks; effects on glucose and insulin; effects on uric acid; cost analysis