J Natl Med Assoc
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Results of several clinical trials have shown that verapamil is effective in reducing blood pressure (BP) in African Americans, a population at high risk for hypertension and target-organ damage. Nonetheless, adequate control of BP is perceived as difficult to achieve in this population. A post hoc analysis of data from the community-based CHRONO trial (Controlling Hypertension in the moRning with a ChrONO medication) was undertaken to assess racial/ethnic differences in the safety and efficacy of the Chronotherapeutic Oral Drug Absorption System (CODAS) formulation of verapamil in a real-world setting. ⋯ Of the 59.7% of African Americans who reached the target BP of <140/90 mmHg, 64% did so at the 200-mg dose. Response rates were not affected by gender, age or treatment history, and CODAS-verapamil was well tolerated in all ethnic/racial treatment groups. In a trial conducted in actual clinical practices, the CODAS formulation of verapamil was shown to be safe and effective in African Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics and Asians.
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African Americans are disproportionately represented among individuals in need of an organ transplant, due in part to low donation rates in this population. The research literature has focused on attitudinal barriers to donation; however, the current study explores individual experiences and values that contribute to supportive attitudes toward organ and tissue donation. ⋯ An understanding of supportive attitudes toward donation may help improve the development of effective culturally sensitive intervention messages targeting the African-American religious community with the ultimate goal of increasing the pool of organs available for transplantation.
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We sought to determine whether significant differences exist in clinical characteristics and echocardiographic features between black men and black women who presented to an outpatient heart failure clinic. ⋯ Based on the analysis of 108 black men and women, overall, men have a significantly larger left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) compared to women (p<0.006). Younger men (7.17 cm) had a larger LVEDD compared to older men (6.37 cm) and both younger and older women (6.22 cm and 6.40 cm, respectively). This difference in LVEDD between the sexes decreased with aging. Men (22.17) had a lower ejection fraction (EF) than women (25.37). No significant differences were noted in the BMI (30.45 for men and 28.60 for women) and the albumin level (3.59 for men and 3.44 for women) between the sexes. However, the younger age group (particularly younger men) had a higher BMI than the older age group (p=0.008).