Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Getting The Church Involved Helps Significantly Reduce Hypertension In Black Communities
The Wall Street Journal: Churches Can Help Reduce Heart Disease, Study Says
The path to reducing rates of hypertension in black communities may start in the church pews, according to a new study by New York City researchers. Specially trained community health workers operating within faith communities in New York City were able to significantly reduce and manage hypertension in black communities, compared with health education alone, according to researchers at the NYU School of Medicine. (West, 10/9)
Reuters: Southern Diet Helps Explain Extra High Blood Pressure Risk For Black Men
High blood pressure is widespread among African American men at least in part because they’re more likely than other people to eat a traditional Southern diet with lots of fried and fatty foods, a new study suggests. Researchers followed 6,897 people in the South who didn’t have high blood pressure in 2003-2007, including 1,807 African American men and women. After about nine years, 46 percent of black participants and 33 percent of white participants developed high blood pressure. (Rapaport, 10/8)
