2024 American Academy of Neurology Abstract Website

Objective:

This study evaluates the long-term impact of the Los Angeles Barbershop Blood Pressure Study (LABBPS) on incident stroke/TIA and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Background:

Individuals with poorly controlled blood pressure (BP) have a heightened risk of stroke and cognitive impairment. BP lowering is one intervention that has been associated with reduced risk of future stroke and cognitive impairment. Black Americans are disproportionately affected by hypertension and neurologic target-organ damage. Thus, interventions to reduce these disparities are needed. From 2/2015- 7/2017, 307 non-Hispanic Black men were enrolled into a cluster randomized, BP reduction intervention at 52 Black-owned barbershops in Los Angeles, CA. LABBPS demonstrated significant improvement in BP control sustained over a 12-month period, however, it did not assess long-term outcomes.

Design/Methods:

Living participants from the LABBPS were contacted via telephone for: (1) interval heath history inquiring about the development of stroke/TIA since the trial end; and (2) Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-M); a score ≤34 was considered positive for possible MCI. Rates of stroke/TIA were compared using a Pearson’s Chi-squared test.

Results:

Out of 288 living participants, 115 men (50%) with mean (SD) age 62 (9) years, were contacted a median of 6 years after trial end. The distribution of TICS-M scores was similar between groups with 71% and 70% having an abnormal result in the intervention and control groups respectively. Self-reported stroke/TIA occurred in 4 men in the intervention group and 9 in the control group (p=0.13).

Conclusions:

Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for stroke and cognitive impairment, and barbershop-based interventions have proven effective in lowering BP in Black men, a group at disparate risk for neurovascular complications. The preliminary results of our follow-up study do not show a significant difference in possible MCI between treatment arms, though there was a trend towards lower incident stroke/TIA in the intervention arm.