Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Latinos: A cross-sectional study.

Vaccination against COVID-19 can prevent severe illness and reduce hospitalizations and deaths. Understanding and addressing determinants contributing to vaccine uptake among high-risk groups, such as Latinos, are pivotal in ensuring equitable vaccine distribution, promoting health equity, and fostering community engagement to bridge the gap in vaccine acceptance and ultimately enhance public health. This study aimed to examine factors influencing vaccine uptake among Latinos. We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online platform (n = 242). The survey was administered using a multimodal approach. Strategies for recruitment included community outreach, social media, and targeting community networks serving Latinos. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and multivariable analysis were performed. Overall, 81.4% of respondents had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 77.0% recommending it and 70.6% believing it to be safe, 66.7% believing in its efficacy, 62.3% able to find trustful information in Spanish or Portuguese, and almost 40% who relied on health organizations as their primary resource for COVID-19 vaccine information. Factors significantly associated with vaccine uptake included higher education level (p<0.001), English level (p = 0.023), living in an urban area (p = 0.048), having insurance (p<0.001), and having a healthcare provider (p = 0.007). Furthermore, belief in vaccine safety and efficacy, trust in public health authorities, concerns about COVID-19, the ability to determine true/false vaccine information during the pandemic, and the availability of trustworthy information in Spanish/Portuguese had statistically significant associations (p<0.05) with COVID-19 vaccine uptake. COVID-19 vaccine uptake differed based on sociodemographic and other modifiable factors. Our findings emphasize the importance of implementing targeted interventions and culturally sensitive communication strategies to improve vaccination uptake among the Latino community in the United States.

The Evolving Role of Calcium Channel Blockers in Hypertension Management: Pharmacological and Clinical Considerations.

Worldwide, hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death. An estimated 122 million people, per the American Heart Association in 2023, have been diagnosed with this common condition. It is generally agreed that the primary goal in the treatment of hypertension is to reduce overall blood pressure to below 140/90 mmHg, with a more optimal goal of 130/80 mmHg. Common medications for treating hypertension include calcium channel blockers (CCBs), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, and diuretics. CCBs are one of the most widely studied agents and are generally recommended as first-line therapy alone and in combination therapies. This is largely based on the vast knowledge of CCB mechanisms and their minimal side effect profile. CCBs can be separated into two classes: dihydropyridine and non-dihydropyridine. Non-dihydropyridine CCBs act on voltage-dependent L-type calcium channels of cardiac and smooth muscle to decrease muscle contractility. Dihydropyridine CCBs act by vasodilating the peripheral vasculature. For many patients with only mild increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (e.g., stage 1 hypertension), the medical literature indicates that CCB monotherapy can be sufficient to control hypertension. In this regard, CCB monotherapy in those with stage 1 hypertension reduced renal and cardiovascular complications compared to other drug classes. Combination therapy with CCBs and angiotensin receptor blockers or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors has been shown to be an effective dual therapy based on recent meta-analyses. This article is a review of calcium channel blockers and their use in treating hypertension with some updated and recent information on studies that have re-examined their use. As for new information, we tried to include some information from recent studies on hypertensive treatment involving calcium channel blockers.