CLEVELAND (WJW) — A study being conducted by University Hospitals and several other institutions is gaining momentum toward its goal of addressing cardiovascular health disparities in Black communities.
For the first time, participants in the “ACHIEVE GreatER” initiative are sharing their results.
Alyssa Myers, a 55-year-old small business owner and mother of four, said she never realized she was experiencing symptoms related to poor heart health.
“I generally just had a headache all the time and I just thought the normal pressures of life and being a mom, being a wife, being a business owner would just — you have a headache, you’ll be OK,” Myers said.
It turned out her headaches were being caused by high blood pressure, which measured 155/110 — classified as stage 2 hypertension — leading to an increased risk for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular issues.
That’s when she was referred to ACHIEVE GreatER, where she was paired with community health worker Kimberly Nicholson, who helps guide patients toward better health using technology, including a special scale, a watch, a blood pressure monitor, an air quality monitor and more.
“Alyssa and I meet month to month,” Nicholson said. “We go over her data, we go over smart goals that she set, things that she would like to do to help better her lifestyle and reduce her numbers and live a healthier life.”
Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan, principal investigator for ACHIEVE GreatER and chief of cardiovascular medicine at UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, said the community health workers are the key to the program’s success.
“Building trust and embedding access to healthcare and services, hopefully for the long term,” he said.
He said the study has made a difference for nearly 200 patients so far.
“We see a trend towards reduction in blood pressure, reduction in weight and improvement in overall lifestyle behaviors,” Rajagopalan said. “And individuals just love it.”
The primary goal of ACHIEVE GreatER is to reduce cardiovascular complications and hospitalizations for Black patients in Cleveland and Detroit. The initiative is still enrolling new patients in the study.
“We are already planning the next phase of this where we are hoping that we will expand this community level intervention to, and scale this to a much larger population,” Rajagopalan said.
Myers’ blood pressure and blood sugar averages are down. She no longer has persistent headaches or dizziness. She’s also taking yoga and Zumba classes.
She encourages others to consider the program.
“If you have the opportunity to participate, you should definitely take them up on it,” Myers said.
The study does not have an end date, and University Hospitals said it is expected to continue for several more years.
Tino Bovenzi
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