Impact of smoking and hypertension on plasma homocysteine level in a community-dwelling japanese population

p 0.001); BP was unchanged in the control shops (146/87 vs. 144/8 mmHg, p ns). The success of the intervention hinged on two factors, referral to care and improved care. Among the untreated hypertensives, 65% (17/26) entered medical treatment from the intervention shop vs. 17% (3/18) from the control shops (p 0.01). Among the treated hypertensives, BP fell by only 3/2 mm Hg in the control shops (n 18 men) but by 15/8 mm Hg in the intervention shop (n 25 men, p 0.01). An intensification of the medical regimen was documented in half the cases in which treated BP improved, indicating that our intervention also impacted the prescribing behavior of our customers’ physicians. In conclusion, these pilot data suggest that this barbershop-based intervention constitutes a powerful strategy to increase both the treatment and control of hypertension in African American men.