Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and Black adults face higher risks. Researchers in Baltimore created a new program called EngAGE with Heart to help 200 adults improve their heart health through community support. The program combines health education classes, heart disease screening, and nutrition guidance delivered by trusted community members over 6 months. This study will measure whether participants reduce their heart disease risk, learn more about heart health, and make healthier lifestyle choices. The program is designed to work in communities that don’t have as much access to healthcare, offering a model that could be used in other cities.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can a community-based heart health program help adults in Baltimore reduce their risk of heart disease and learn healthier habits?
  • Who participated: 200 adults age 25 and older recruited from senior centers and churches in Baltimore, with a focus on reaching underserved communities where heart disease is more common.
  • Key finding: This is a new program being tested, so results aren’t available yet. The study will measure changes in heart disease risk, heart health knowledge, and healthy behaviors after 3 and 6 months of participation.
  • What it means for you: If you live in Baltimore or a similar community, this type of program may offer free or low-cost heart health education and screening through trusted local organizations. The program is still being studied, so talk to your doctor about whether it’s right for you.

The Research Details

The EngAGE with Heart Program is a community-led initiative, meaning the people in the community helped design it alongside health experts and local organizations. Researchers recruited 200 adults from two senior centers and four churches in Baltimore. Participants attend structured health education classes where they learn about heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and unhealthy eating habits. They also receive free heart disease screening to check their current health status. Community health ambassadors—trusted people from the neighborhood—visit participants at home or in their community to provide counseling on lifestyle changes like eating better and exercising more. The program runs for 6 months and includes healthy food and nutrition initiatives to help people make better eating choices.

This research approach is important because it recognizes that heart disease affects different communities differently. By working with community leaders and organizations that people already trust, the program can reach people who might not visit a hospital or doctor’s office. Using community health ambassadors instead of just doctors makes the program feel more personal and culturally appropriate. This type of community-centered approach has shown promise in other health programs, so testing it specifically for heart disease in Baltimore could create a model that works in other underserved neighborhoods.

This is a well-designed study because it involves real community partners in creating the program, not just researchers telling people what to do. The study measures multiple important outcomes—not just whether people’s heart disease risk goes down, but also whether they learn more and change their behaviors. However, this is a preliminary study to test whether the program works, so the results will be early findings that may need to be confirmed with larger studies later. The study focuses on one city, so results may not apply everywhere.

What the Results Show

This study is still in progress, so final results are not yet available. The researchers will measure three main things: First, they will check whether participants’ heart disease risk scores improve after 3 and 6 months by measuring things like blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight. Second, they will test whether people learn more about heart disease by giving them knowledge quizzes before and after the program. Third, they will track whether people actually change their behaviors—like eating healthier foods, exercising more, and taking medications if prescribed. The study will compare how much people improve over the 6-month program period.

Beyond the main measurements, researchers will likely look at other important outcomes like whether people stick with the program (attendance rates), whether they feel more confident about managing their heart health, and whether the program successfully builds lasting partnerships between health organizations and community groups. They may also examine whether certain groups benefit more than others, such as older adults versus younger adults, or men versus women.

Community-based health programs have shown promise in other areas like diabetes prevention and weight management. This study applies that same successful approach specifically to heart disease in a community that faces higher heart disease rates. Previous research suggests that programs delivered by trusted community members work better than programs delivered only by doctors, especially in communities that have experienced healthcare disparities. This study will add to that evidence by testing whether the approach works specifically for reducing heart disease risk.

This study has some important limitations to understand. First, it only includes 200 people in Baltimore, so the results may not apply to other cities or communities with different characteristics. Second, the study doesn’t have a comparison group of people who didn’t receive the program, which makes it harder to know how much improvement is due to the program versus other factors. Third, the program is only 6 months long, so we won’t know if benefits last longer than that. Finally, people who volunteer for health programs are often already motivated to improve their health, so results might be different if the program reached less motivated people.

The Bottom Line

If you are an adult in Baltimore age 25 or older, especially if you have risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure or family history of heart disease, this program may be worth exploring when it becomes available. The program appears to offer free or low-cost heart screening and education through trusted community organizations. However, this is still a research study, so talk to your doctor before making major health changes. For everyone, the basic heart-healthy habits promoted by this program—eating better, exercising, managing stress, and getting regular health checkups—are supported by strong evidence and recommended by all major health organizations.

This program is specifically designed for adults in Baltimore, particularly those in underserved communities who may have limited access to healthcare. It may be especially helpful for Black adults, who face higher heart disease rates. However, the healthy lifestyle changes promoted by the program benefit everyone. People with existing heart disease should talk to their doctor before starting any new program. Younger, very healthy people with no heart disease risk factors may benefit less from this specific program, though the healthy habits promoted are still good for everyone.

The program runs for 6 months, and researchers will measure changes at 3 months and 6 months. Some changes, like learning about heart health, may happen quickly—within the first few weeks. Other changes, like lowering blood pressure or cholesterol through diet and exercise, typically take 4-8 weeks to show up in blood tests. Weight loss and improved fitness may take 8-12 weeks to become noticeable. The biggest benefits often come from sticking with the program for the full 6 months and continuing healthy habits afterward.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your blood pressure and weight weekly using the app’s health metrics feature. If you’re participating in the program, log which education sessions you attended and note any lifestyle changes you made that week (like minutes of exercise, servings of vegetables, or glasses of water). This creates a record you can review with your community health ambassador.
  • Use the app to set one specific heart-healthy goal each week—for example, ‘Walk 30 minutes three times this week’ or ‘Eat vegetables with dinner five nights this week.’ Share your weekly goal with your community health ambassador and log your progress daily. This makes the program more interactive and helps you stay accountable.
  • After the 6-month program ends, continue using the app to track the same metrics monthly—blood pressure, weight, and healthy behaviors. This helps you see whether the improvements you made during the program last over time. Set reminders for annual health checkups to get your cholesterol and other heart disease risk factors checked by a doctor, and compare those results to your baseline measurements from the start of the program.

This article describes a research study that is still in progress. The findings presented are preliminary and based on the study design, not final results. This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your doctor. If you have concerns about your heart health, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or family history of heart disease, please consult with a healthcare provider. Do not make major changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications without talking to your doctor first. If you are interested in participating in the EngAGE with Heart Program or similar community health initiatives, ask your doctor or local health department for information about programs available in your area.