A lot of men hate to go to the doctor, but don't mind getting a haircut – so one Dallas barbershop is helping screen men as part of a life-saving study.
James Smitty Smith's Lancaster-Kiest Barber Shop in Oak Cliff has been hand-picked to be part of a study on ways to help lower the blood pressure of black men in Dallas.
Smith first got involved in 2008, now researchers in Los Angeles want him to help again.
Smith says black men typically seek treatment for high blood pressure when it's too late. He wants to be part of the solution to the problem.
"We want to educate our customers and let them know that not only that is just one other service that we provide in the barbershop," said Smith."Our customers had barbers, but they didn't have doctor. They didn't have a primary care physician."
A blood pressure machine now sits next to Smith's electric hair clippers and shaving cream.
As part of the study, Smith was professionally trained to perform checks on his clients. There's no extra charge for a blood pressure check.
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According to new guidelines, healthy blood pressure is in the range of 120 over 70. The most recent estimates are that black men with high blood pressure are in excess of 140 over 90.
Within a year, the 52 barbers involved in this new study found that their clients' blood pressure dropped nearly 22 points with knowledge they needed to do something.
