Hispanics are the largest minority group and by 2050 will be constitute 30% of the US population. Although Mexican Americans are the largest subgroup, Caribbean Hispanics are the second largest subgroup in the U.S. The aging and rapid growth of the Hispanic population will lead to increases in the impact of stroke. Innovative strategies are needed to reduce stroke risk and eliminate disparities among Hispanics. Our Hispanic Stroke Prevention Intervention Research Program is a collaborative application from the University of Miami and the University of Puerto Rico aimed at reducing stroke disparities in the Hispanic community. The central theme of our program is risk factor control among Hispanics at risk of stroke. In project I, we will assess in a randomized trial the effectiveness o an innovative secondary stroke prevention intervention program to improve the control of risk factors, uses a health care delivery model that has been successful for chronic disease management in minority communities, integrates pharmacists in the enhancement of adherence, and state of the art mobile information technology. In project II, we will systematically evaluate the determinants of blood pressure variability and glucose control among high-risk Hispanic family members of stroke patients. We will assess novel psychosocial, sociocultural, healthcare system, and biological variables as part of a conceptual model that incorporates psychosocial adversities, reserve capacity, and cumulative vulnerabilities as determinants of 24hour blood pressure variability. In project III we will create the Florida Puerto Rico Stroke Registry by collating data from 140 hospitals that are currently collecting Get With the Guidelines-Stroke data to help identify stroke disparities by race, ethnicity, and region and educate stakeholders in approaches to improve stroke quality regarding stroke disparities. Our program includes three cores: administrative core, the research/education training core, and the data management and statistics core. Our multidisciplinary program unites investigators across two minority-serving institutions, addresses significant gaps in our knowledge of stroke risk in Hispanics, and will provide results that can have an immediate impact on future primary and secondary stroke prevention efforts.
This specialized collaborative program will address stroke disparities in the Hispanic population. The projects have been designed to develop culturally-tailored approaches to secondary and primary stroke prevention, as well as identify and reduce acute stroke disparities. The studies will provide immediate results to reduce stroke disparities and transportable approaches to address stroke disparities in other communities.
