Chicago Community Heart Health Program
Community Intervention to Reduce CardiovascuLar Disease in Chicago (CIRCL-Chicago)
This project brings proven blood-pressure control tools and community support into South Side Chicago churches to help adults lower their risk of heart disease and stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11184250 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, the program adapts a set of blood-pressure care practices that worked in a large health system so they can be delivered in neighborhood churches. Local community health workers and church ministry facilitators will help measure blood pressure accurately, keep registries, provide simplified medication plans, and give feedback to clinicians and participants. The team will partner with nearby clinics and hospitals to link people to medical care and follow-up. Activities focus on predominantly Black, under-resourced neighborhoods on Chicago's South and West Sides and include active follow-up of adults aged 21 and older.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 21 or older who live in or regularly attend churches or community programs on Chicago's South or West Sides and have high blood pressure or are at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Not a fit: People who live outside the target Chicago neighborhoods, are under 21, or have no hypertension-related concerns are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more people in underserved Chicago neighborhoods get their blood pressure under control and lower future heart attack and stroke risk.
How similar studies have performed: A comparable bundle of interventions substantially improved blood pressure control in Kaiser Permanente clinics in Northern California, while delivering the same bundle through churches is a new community-focused approach.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kho, Abel N. — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Kho, Abel N.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.