Introduction
Community Heart Health Actions for Latinos at Risk is a community health worker–led
cardiovascular disease risk reduction program targeting low-income urban Latinos.
The impact of community programs linked with clinical care has not been well characterized.
Methods
Community Heart Health Actions for Latinos at Risk provided 12 weeks of lifestyle
education. Changes in risk factors were assessed before and after completion. Univariate,
bivariate, and multivariate analyses were used to determine factors associated with
changes in risk factors.
Results
From 2009 to 2013, a total of 1,099 participants were recruited and 768 had risk factors
measured at baseline and 12 weeks. All analyses were performed in 2016. In participants
with abnormal baseline risk factors, significant (all p<0.001) median reductions in systolic blood pressure (–11 mmHg, n=244); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (–14 mg/dL, n=201); glucose (–8 mg/dL, n=454); triglycerides (–57 mg/dL, n=242); and Framingham risk score (–2.3%, n=301) were observed. Program completion (eight of 12 classes) was associated with
the reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.03) and systolic blood pressure (p=0.01). After adjustment, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction was greatest
in participants newly prescribed lipid-lowering drugs (–30%, 95% CI= –48, –15).
Conclusions
A community health worker–led intervention lowered cardiovascular disease risk among
vulnerable Latinos. Integration with primary care services was an essential program
component.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: June 08, 2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
