Barbershop intervention cuts blood pressure in black men

Dr. Victor and colleagues identified a study population of non-Hispanic black men aged 35-79 years with a baseline blood pressure of at least 140 mm Hg who were regular patrons of their local barbershops. Of these, 139 were randomized to a pharmacist-led intervention in 28 barbershops, and 180 served as controls in 24 barbershops.

The intervention included monthly checkups with a pharmacist in the barbershop setting, along with blood pressure readings, medication management, electrolyte monitoring, and progress notes sent to each man’s primary care provider. In addition, the barbers encouraged blood pressure management and a healthy lifestyle during the men’s regular haircut visits, occurring about every 2 weeks. The control group received encouragement from their barbers and usual care from their primary care providers.

The average baseline systolic blood pressure was 152.8 mm Hg in the intervention group, which dropped to 125.8 mm Hg at 6 months. The controls’ average systolic blood pressure was 154.6 mm Hg at baseline and 145.4 at 6 months.

Dr. Victor said he was thrilled with the results, and that the intervention group’s improvement was roughly three times that seen in many blood pressure intervention studies. “We lost very few men to follow-up,” Dr. Victor said. “I can’t underestimate how important the buy-in of the barbers was,” he emphasized. The primary analysis included 132 intervention men and 171 controls with complete 6 months data.