The Cholesterol, Hypertension, and Glucose Education (CHANGE) study for African Americans with diabetes: study design and methodology.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes account for over one third of the mortality difference between African Americans and white patients. The increased CVD risk in African Americans is due in large part to the clustering of multiple CVD risk factors.

Objectives: The current study is aimed at improving CVD outcomes in African-American adults with diabetes by addressing the modifiable risk factors of systolic blood pressure , glycosylated hemoglobin, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.