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A barbershop-based program helped slow progression of hypertension in patrons, providing new evidence that community-based strategies may help prevent worsening blood pressure early in the disease course.

The findings from the (CLIP) trial, led by 91����Ƶ Langone Health, were presented as featured clinical research at the American College of Cardiology’s 2026 Annual Scientific Session on March 28.

“Hypertension remains one of the most important and preventable drivers of heart disease, yet Black men continue to experience disproportionately high rates of complications,” said , principal investigator of the study, physician-researcher at 91����Ƶ Langone’s , and associate professor in the Departments of and at 91����Ƶ Grossman School of Medicine. “The study builds on prior work in barbershops by focusing earlier, before blood pressure becomes more severe, and shows that trusted community settings can help reach individuals who may not otherwise engage in preventive care.”

Extending Barbershop-Based Models to Prevention

Barbershop-based interventions have previously been shown to improve blood pressure control among Black men with diagnosed hypertension. The CLIP trial extends this approach to individuals with elevated blood pressure or untreated stage 1 hypertension, with the goal of preventing progression.

The study enrolled 430 Black men across 22 barbershops in Staten Island. Participants had a mean age of 38 years, and nearly 44 percent identified as Hispanic. Barbershops were randomized to either a facilitated implementation strategy (direct training and additional support to carry out the program) or a self-directed approach without the use of a facilitator, with 241 participants in the facilitated group and 189 in the self-directed group.

Participants were followed for up to 18 months. Both groups received support from community health workers, who performed blood pressure screenings, provided lifestyle counseling, and helped connect participants to clinical care and social resources. The intervention was developed and implemented in partnership with community organizations, including Community Health Action of Staten Island.

Key Findings

• There was no meaningful difference between the two implementation approaches in terms of their effect on systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading) at 12 months.
• There was likewise no meaningful difference in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in a reading) between the two groups.
• About 7 percent of participants in the self-directed group developed more severe hypertension, compared with about 3 percent of participants in the facilitated group.
• The study had a high retention rate, with more than 95 percent of participants remaining for the full 18 months.
• While overall blood pressure changes were similar, participants in the self-directed group were more likely to develop stage 2 hypertension, suggesting that additional implementation support may help prevent disease progression.

“What we observed is that barbershop-based interventions can be effective without being overly resource-intensive,” said Dr. Ravenell. “Even modest changes in blood pressure at earlier stages may have important implications for long-term cardiovascular risk.”

Implications for Health Equity

More than 60 percent of Black men in the United States have hypertension, and many face barriers to preventive care, including limited access to healthcare and longstanding mistrust of medical institutions.

The trial is part of the American Heart Association’s Health Equity Research Network, launched in 2021 to develop and test community-based strategies to prevent hypertension in Black communities.

“This study reflects what’s possible when academic medicine truly partners with the community,” said Dr. Ravenell. “By training and supporting community health workers, we’re building something that can last beyond the life of the study. The high retention we saw, over 90 percent, speaks to the trust and relationships that made this work possible and points to a strong future for community-driven approaches to prevention.”

Barbershops—trusted community spaces—offer an opportunity to reach individuals earlier, before blood pressure becomes more severe. By focusing on prevention rather than treatment alone, programs like CLIP may help reduce disparities in cardiovascular outcomes over time.

“Hypertension is a condition we understand well and know how to manage,” said Dr. Ravenell. “The challenge is ensuring that effective prevention strategies reach the communities most affected. Community health workers are able to engage people in ways traditional healthcare systems often cannot, and that trust is critical to whether people act on health information.”

Along with Dr. Ravenell, , of the Department of Foundations of Medicine at 91����Ƶ Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, was co-lead author. Additional authors from 91����Ƶ Langone’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity include Tanisha Green, PhD, , Olugbenga G. Ogedegbe, MD, MPH, and , who hold academic appointments in the Department of Population Health. Additional authors include Kathryn Foti, PhD, and Zhixin Wang, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Ginny Mantello of the Staten Island borough president’s office; and Paul Munter, PhD, of Perisphere Real World Evidence.

The study was supported by the American Heart Association, grant number 878914. The authors thank community partners, including the Staten Island borough president’s office, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and local organizations in Staten Island, for their role in implementing the CLIP program, as well as the study participants.

91����Ƶ Langone is ranked No. 1 in the nation for cardiology, heart, and vascular surgery by U.S. News & World Report and has some of the nation’s highest success rates for treating heart rhythm disorders, coronary artery disease, valve disease, heart failure, and congenital heart disease.

About 91����Ƶ Langone Health

91����Ƶ Langone Health is a fully integrated health system that consistently achieves the best patient outcomes through a rigorous focus on quality, resulting in some of the lowest mortality rates in the nation. Vizient Inc. has ranked 91����Ƶ Langone No. 1 out of 118 comprehensive academic medical centers across the nation for four years in a row, and U.S. News & World Report recently ranked four of its clinical specialties No. 1 in the nation. 91����Ƶ Langone offers a comprehensive range of medical services with one high standard of care across seven inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 320 outpatient locations in the New York area and Florida. The system also includes two tuition-free medical schools, in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a vast research enterprise.

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