AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC TOOL TO DETECT ANGINA PECTORIS IN BLACKS

ANGINA PECTORIS IS OFTEN CONSIDERED A MANIFESTATION OF CORONARY ARTERY ATHEROSCLEROSIS THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASED MORTALITY RISK. OVERALL, CORONARY HEART DISEASE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN U.S. BLACKS. IN AN ATTEMPT TO STANDARDIZE THE DIAGNOSIS OF ANGINA PECTORIS IN EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES, ROSE DEVELOPED A QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CARDIOVASCULAR FIELD SURVEYS WHICH HAS PRIMARILY BEEN USED IN U.S. AND OTHER WHITE POPULATIONS. HOWEVER, TO DATE, THERE ARE NO VALID EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TOOLS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF ANGINA PECTORIS IN BLACKS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CARDIOVASCULAR SURVEY INSTRUMENT THAT IS CAPABLE OF ASSESSING ANGINA PECTORIS IN BLACK POPULATIONS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF BLACK CARDIOLOGISTS AS AN URGENT EPIDEMIOLOGIC NEED. ALSO, SUCH ASURVEY INSTRUMENT COULD ULTIMATELY ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE AND TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AMONG BLACKS. THE SPECIFIC AIM OF THIS PHASE I PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE DETECTION OF ANGINA PECTORISIN BLACKS. DURING PHASE II IT IS PLANNED TO FURTHER REFINE THE PROTOTYPE AND ASSESS ITS VALIDITY, RELIABILITY AND COST EFFICIENCY THROUGH A CONTROLLED FIELD TRIAL WHICH WILL COMPARE DIFFERENT MODES OF ADMINISTRATION (MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE, TELEPHONE AND IN-PERSON) AS WELL AS VALIDATE THE QUESTIONNAIRE AGAINST A THOROUGH CLINICAL EXAMINATION INCLUDING DIAGNOSTIC TESTS.