Training barbers to check for hypertension can save lives

A new study shows that by training barbers to check blood pressure, offer advice and anecdotes, and even help refer the clients to a doctor if they don’t have one, appears to help men get their blood pressure under control.

This demographic has the highest rate of hypertension-related death in North America, about three times the rate of white men. This is partially due to the fact that high blood pressure often goes untreated in many African American men.

For the research, barbershops were divided in to either an “intervention” shop or a control shop.

The intervention group, which was tested in 17 black-owned barbershops in a single Texas county. Over the next 10 months, barbers offered clients blood pressure checks with every haircut, and urged those with high blood pressure to see a doctor. They also gave clients referral cards to give their doctors with their latest bood pressure readings. As extra motivation, the barbers were trained to tell clients “model” stories about other patrons who benefited from getting their hypertension under control.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the most prevalent causes of premature disability and death among African-Americans After the 10 months, the proportion of men with their blood pressure under control increased by 20% among the clients of the intervention barber shops, compared with only 11% for the clients of the comparison barber shops.

The research was led by Ronald G. Victor, MD, who was at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, at the time of the study (March 2006 to December 2008) and now of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and his colleagues.