Reducing Stroke Risk in African-American Men

The project is a 6-month prospective Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating the effects of TargEted MAnageMent Intervention (TEAM, N=80) vs. wait-list (WL, N=80) control in African American men who have experienced a stroke or TIA within the past 5 years. TEAM features a nurse-led, person-centered, holistic intervention that takes advantage of existing strengths in AA families/communities. TEAM uses peer educator dyads (PEDs) to provide support and model behaviors. The PED consists of an AA man peer educator (PE) with experience in managing his own stroke risk and a care partner. A care partner is someone who is the family member, friend or other individual of someone who has had a stroke or TIA. A care partner can be associated with a PE but they do not have to be. PEs and care partners will be matched depending on schedules and availability and may not always be members of the same household. The nurse and PED co-deliver TEAM to an AA male patient who has experienced stroke or TIA. Patients are also encouraged to include a family, friend, or other individual important his stroke recovery in the TEAM programming. The intervention is a practical approach suitable for implementation in specialty, primary care or community settings, and has the potential to reverse the unacceptably high morbidity seen in AA men due to stroke-related disorders.