title: Take it to heart: a national health screening and education project in African-American communities. A joint project of the NMA and Bayer Corporation.
abstract: "Take It to Heart" is a community health screening and education project jointly sponsored by the National Medical Association (NMA) and Bayer Corporation, Pharmaceutical Division. The project was designed to increase awareness of the prevalence of hypertension and the risks of coronary heart disease in the African-American community. Free health testing for hypertension and cholesterol was provided in six communities. Participants received an individualized coronary risk assessment outlining key risk areas, followed by consultation with an NMA physician. A total of 1651 individuals between the ages of 18 and 82 participated in the health screenings. Ninety-five percent of those tested were African American. In a preliminary health history, 76% reported insufficient exercise, 23% reported a history of high blood pressure, and 19% had a positive family history of early cardiovascular disease. Screening test results revealed 40% of participants had a blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg, 52% had a cholesterol level > 200 mg, and 42% had a body mass index > 27. Based on these results, more than 76% were calculated to have a moderate to high coronary risk profile. Hypertension and cardiovascular disease are major public health problems associated with an increased incidence of death in the African-American community. The Take It to Heart Project is an important mechanism of providing health information to the public and encouraging those at highest risk to take steps to improve their health status.
authors.affiliation: National Medical Association, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Keys
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D003153:Community Health Services; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged