Older African Americans suffer from disproportionately high rates of morbidity, mortality, and disability compared to older white Americans. The largest contributor to this health disparity is cardiovascular disease (CVD) in this population. Therefore, in accordance with national research priority mandates, the overall goal of the Alexander Center for Research in CAM, Minority Aging and CVD is to evaluate the efficacy is to evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of CAM approaches for the prevention of this epidemic disease in older African Americans. The Alexander Center is a unique interdisciplinary and multi-institutional collaboration of leading academic and clinical centers in CAM and conventional medicine. These partner institutions have an established record of collaborating together on NIH-supported randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness and mechanisms of CAM modalities, specifically in older African Americans at high risk for CVD. The participating institutions include: Maharishi University of Management- College of Maharishi Vedic Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Preliminary studies conducted by the present team have found that approaches of traditional Vedic medicine, in particular meditation intervention, is associated with significant reductions in hypertension, psychosocial stress, surrogate endpoints for atherosclerotic CVD and hypertensive-heart disease, and mortality over long-term follow-up in this aging minority population. Therefore, the Center will conduct well-controlled basic and clinical research, developmental programs, research training, and establish core services, administrative structures and procedures to support this research program. Proposed research programs with older high risk African American populations and cores include: 1) a basic study of mechanisms of meditation on atherosclerotic CVD (arterial vasomotion, cardiac autonomic tone and psychosocial risk factors), 2) a clinical trial of effects of meditation on carotid atherosclerosis, CVD risk factors, physiological mechanisms, psychosocial risk factors and quality of life in older Black women with CVD, 3) a controlled study on mechanisms and clinical effects of a traditional herbal antioxidant compared to conventional vitamin supplementation on carotid atherosclerosis, endothelial function, oxidative stress, CVD risk factors, and quality of life, 4) an Administrative Core to provide organizational structure and procedures, an overall Advisory Council, training of graduate and postgraduate CAM researchers and future developmental studies, 5) a Biostatistical and Research Methods Core that will provide statistical and methodological support for research projects. In conclusion, the Alexander Center will provide a unique and well- established platform for evaluation and translation of CAM modalities for the prevention of CVD in high risk older African Americans.
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