We are in an exciting time here at ISHIB. Under the direction of new leadership from Dr. Charles Curry, we are seeing the launch of our membership drive that includes exciting incentives for membership recruitment, the planning of ISHIB2005 and the development of a new and improved website to better communicate with members, supporters, and the public.

One of the goals of our new president is to seek new and inclusive ways to engage membership, and this year we have added exciting components to our membership services, including a members-only website, free online provider locator registry, member recruitment campaign--“Get-A-Member”--that will include incentives to top participants, and much more. The continued success of ISHIB is only possible because of dedicated members. Please be sure to renew your membership today, or if you are not a member, we invite you to join us in the fight against hypertension. Membership information can be found on our website.

In 2005, we will hold our Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference in the beautiful city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 15-19, 2005, at the historic waterfront resort, Caribe Hilton. We plan to make this a state-of-the-art conference event to be remembered, providing multimedia continuing educational opportunities and cutting-edge research and clinical information. Registration begins in December. Remember to register early to receive discounted rates.

Thank you for the many comments we received about our website and we are proud to announce the launch of our new and improved site. The website now includes current programs, services, and health information all in an easy-to-navigate format. Phase II of our new website will include a members-only section along with an online provider locator service and much more. Please log on to www.ishib.org to see our new site.

The Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity in African American Patients: Therapeutic and Practical Approaches regional symposium was a success! I would like to thank all those who participated on Saturday, September 25, 2004, in Philadelphia. This program is supported by Abbott Laboratories (ISHIB2004 Corporate Partners Roundtable member) through an unrestricted educational grant and is co-sponsored by the Morehouse School of Medicine. This free educational activity will be presented again on December 11, 2004, in Atlanta at the Sheraton Atlanta Midtown Hotel. To find out more information log on to our website or contact the ISHIB office at 404.880.0343.

November is American Diabetes Month. According to the American Diabetes Association, of the 18.2 million people in the United States, 6.3% of the population has diabetes. Unfortunately, 5.2 million people, nearly one third, are unaware that they have the disease. Diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders. However, the good news is that the recently completed Diabetes Prevention Program study conclusively showed that people with pre-diabetes can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by making changes in their diet and increasing their levels of activity.

I look forward to seeing many of you in New Orleans at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, November 7- 10, 2004. Please be sure to stop by ISHIB booth #3238.

Sincerely,

Christopher T. Fitzpatrick
CEO

ISHIB provides quality programs through supporters, members, and expert faculty who remain committed to our organization. We would like to thank the attendees of the ISHIB Regional Symposium Series: the Metabolic Syndrome in African American Patients: Therapeutic and Practical Approaches, Abbott Laboratories for the unrestricted educational grant, and the Philadelphia Metabolic Syndrome faculty:

• David E. Knox, MD
• Elijah Saunders, MD
• Harold Mignott, MD
• Bonita E. Falkner, MD
• Kenneth A. Jamerson, MD

We received overwhelming responses from participants who felt the program provided strategies for preventing and controlling hypertension and other CVD risk factors in individual, family, workplace, and community settings. Attendees also agreed that the information identified the magnitude and economic impact of the cardiovascular disease problem from a local and national perspective. We remain committed to members and our communities to provide educational activities that contribute to the delivery of higher-quality CVD care.

This free educational activity will be presented on December 11, 2004, in Atlanta at the Sheraton Atlanta Midtown Hotel. Click here for more information

This series of symposia is designed for physicians and other healthcare professionals, particularly those who manage patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease. The goal of the ISHIB Regional Special Symposium Series is to address the use of specific pharmacologic therapy in ethnic populations for all cardiovascular conditions (e.g., stroke, diabetes, lipid disorders, renal disease) and other health disparities as they affect all ethnic minority populations.

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ISHIB Reaches Out

ISHIB recently displayed its dedication to improving health issues for ethnic populations worldwide when it helped send medical student Ijeoma Nnodim to Ghana to work with the KBTH obstetrics and gynecology clinic. In July, Nnodim traveled to Accra, Ghana’s capital, to work with the Women’s Health Foundation – Ghana (WHF-G), an organization dedicated to improving the quality of maternal care for the women of Ghana. Nnodim said her time abroad helped strengthen the initiative she founded, “The Ghana Mission Project,” which serves as a liaison between the WHF-G and its partners in Michigan.

“It was an awesome experience and even served to reinforce my passion for practicing clinical medicine, both on a domestic (United States) and international level,” said Nnodim upon her return. “Whilst there, I witnessed the challenges faced by the Ghanaian physicians and health care providers in their attempt to meet patient needs with limited human and medical resources.”

Currently, Nnodim is a second-year medical student at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, currently considering obstetrics and gynecology as a field of specialization. ISHIB’s contribution to Nnodim’s mission helped WHF-G buy much-needed medical supplies.

Nnodim said overall, the experience greatly strengthened her dedication to helping improve health care for citizens all over the world. Said Nnodim, “With power comes responsibility, and any opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact must be exploited to the benefit of humanity.”

Above: Ijeoma pictured with obestetric patient and newborn child. The new mother (a trader) was not released from the hospital because she could not pay her hospital bill. Some funds raised for Mission Project were used toward hospital bill.

Right, above: Ijeoma pictured with Dr. Amoah, ISHIB Board of Trustee member and Associate Professor & Vice Dean for University of Ghana Medical School.

Right, below: Ijeoma presented donated medical supplies to the staff of the Obestetrics & Gynecology Clinic (Korle-Bu) - Members of the Women's Health Foundation.

Upcoming Events

July 15-19, 2005
Caribe Hilton Hotel
San Juan, Puerto Rico

ISHIB’s 20th Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference on Hypertension and Related Risk Factors in Ethnic Populations

Registration begins in December! Register early for discounted rates.

November 2004
American Diabetes Month

November 7-10
Scientific Sessions 2004: American Heart Association
New Orleans, Louisiana (Visit the ISHIB Booth, #3238!)

November 10
“Treating the African American Patient: Update on Clinical Management for Arthritis”
Free Educational Activity
Maryland Arthritis Foundation: Baltimore, Maryland

December 11
ISHIB Regional Symposium Series
Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity in African American Patients: Therapeutic and Practical Approaches

November is American Diabetes Month, and this year, the American Diabetes Association’s theme centers around the link between diabetes and heart disease. Diabetes puts patients at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, with two out of three diabetes patients dying from heart disease or stroke. The theme for this year’s American Diabetes Month will be “Make the Link! Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke,” to encourage patients to start focusing on the prevention of all three ailments.

The “Make the Link!” initiative emphasizes that diabetes management consists of more than just taking control of blood glucose. Because of the correlation between diabetes and heart disease, patients with diabetes must also take close note of their blood pressure and cholesterol to avoid long-term heart problems. This month, the American Diabetes Association hopes to make great strides toward increasing patients’ awareness of the correlations between diabetes and heart disease.

Merck &. Co., Inc. announced on September 30, 2004, a voluntary worldwide withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib), its arthritis and acute pain medication. The company's decision, which is effective immediately, is based on new, 3-year data from a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the APPROVe (Adenomatous Polyp Prevention on Vioxx) trial.

The trial, which is being stopped, was designed to evaluate the efficacy of Vioxx 25 mg in preventing recurrence of colorectal polyps in patients with a history of colorectal adenomas. In this study, there was an increased relative risk for confirmed cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, beginning after 18 months of treatment in the patients taking Vioxx compared to those taking placebo. The results for the first 18 months of the APPROVe study did not show any increased risk of confirmed cardiovascular events on Vioxx, and in this respect are similar to the results of two placebo-controlled studies described in the current U.S. labeling for Vioxx. 

Merck has informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and regulatory authorities in other countries of its decision. The company also is in the process of notifying health care practitioners in the United States and other countries where Vioxx is marketed.  Patients who are currently taking Vioxx should contact their healthcare providers to discuss discontinuing use of Vioxx and possible alternative treatments. In addition, patients and healthcare professionals may obtain information from www.merck.com and www.vioxx.com, or may call (888) 36-VIOXX (1-888-368-4699). 

More than 77,000 lives could be save annually by using medicines to treat high blood pressure in Medicare beneficiaries, according to a new study by consulting firm Milliman, Inc. The study also claims that more than 115,000 strokes and 106,000 heart attacks could be avoided, with little to no additional costs in the long run.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects more than 50 million Americans but is more common in Blacks; in the United States, nearly one in three Blacks has hypertension, compared to one in four Whites.

Hypertension is generally treated through diet and exercise changes, with about 54% of patients receiving antihypertensive medication. The study contends that prescribing more undertreated Medicare recipients medicines would save lives without increasing costs, by preventing more strokes and heart attacks, and subsequently spending less money on hospital, nursing, and long-term care.

According to Milliman’s projections, the 2006 prescription drug cost for hypertension treatment would only be approximately 3.4% of total medical costs for a person with hypertension. Of the 50 million Americans suffering from hypertension, only 27% have their blood pressure under control.

ISHIB WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS FOR 2005: Anthony Bollino, MD; Lavista, MD - Susan Colber Threats, MD; Saint Louis, MO - Sheila P. Davis, PhD, RN; Jackson, MS - Sandra C. Garmon-Bibb; Silver Spring, MD - Mary L. Gutierrez-Mohamed; Jackson, MS - Habib Haddad, MD; Dearborne, MI - Josiah K. Halm, MD; Milwaukee, WI - Kenneth Headen; Burlington, NC - Narendra Singh, MD; Atlanta, GA - Vida Z. Stephens, MSc, RD; Scarborough, Ontario, Canada - Eva M. Vivian, PharmD, BC-ADM; Pomona, CA - Lucy Yates, EdD; Darby Township, PA