A pilot study of cardiovascular risk assessment in Afro-Caribbean patients attending an inner city general practice

Background. Afro-Caribbean ethnic minorities are at high risk of stroke and the sequelae of hypertension. Objective. To investigate cardiovascular risk factors and Dundee risk rank in Afro-Caribbeans attending one inner city general practice and to find which methods of health promotion patients preferred. Methods. We assessed cardiovascular risk including systolic and diastolic blood pressure in 98 patients of Afro-Caribbean origin. Results. Fifty per cent of the patients had at least two risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Focus groups suggested that the barriers to effective health promotion included lack of risk awareness, cultural and lifestyle influences, time restrictions and language difficulties. Conclusions. The small pilot study highlights both the need for and some of the problems of GP-based cardiovascular health promotion in Afro-Caribbeans.