University Hospitals seeking participants for stress management study Eligible participants are non-smokers, between ages 21 and 60, and not taking blood pressure medication Once you visit The Weils, we know you’re going to like what you see. T he Connor Integrative Medicine Network at University Hospitals (UH) is seeking participants for a clinical research study to test whether stress-management training can help lower blood pressure in people with pre-hypertension. A first-of-its-kind study, the Serenity Study is a collaboration between UH, Kent State University and the University of Pennsylvania. Researchers are hoping to enroll 90 participants in the coming weeks. Eligible participants are non-smokers, between the ages of 21 and 60, and not taking blood pressure medication. The program involves an eight-week, groupbased, stress-management class, each weekly session lasting about 2.5 hours, and one full-day stress-management retreat. David Fresco, PhD, professor of Psychological Sciences at Kent State University and adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, is the principal investigator on the study. "We’ve long known of a simple straightforward way to manage one’s blood pressure,” Dr. Fresco says. “It involves following a regimen of diet and exercise. Trouble is, things that are simple are not always easy. Many of us struggle to follow a healthy lifestyle, and stress makes it so much harder. We believe that teaching individuals skills for stress management may help them deal with stress head-on and strengthen their resolve to make a healthy lifestyle a priority in their lives." A thorough assessment of blood pressure will be conducted at the beginning and end of the eight-week program, and researchers will follow up with participants at six and 12 months for further blood pressure assessments. Because many assessments will be made at Connor Integrative Medicine Network’s offices (25001 Emery Road, Warrensville Heights), it is suggested that study participants live within a reasonable driving distance. Interested and eligible participants should contact Monica Fallon, Serenity Study coordinator, at 216.285.4087 or at Monica.Fallon@ UHhospitals.org. The five-year study is funded through a $500,000 grant to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The funding is part of a $3.7 million grant that includes the Connor Integrative Medicine Network, Dr. Fresco and Joel Hughes, PhD, at Kent State University, and Jeffrey Greeson, PhD, at University of Pennsylvania. Many happy hours spent with friends of the same vintage. Once you move in – you’re going to love your new home! Everything you need, everything you want, is no farther than down the hall. You’ll enjoy fine amenities like three chef-prepared meals a day, salon and spa services, special events and entertainment, even a “Happy Hour” where you can talk, laugh and relax before dinner with your neighbors and friends. And so much more. Schedule a tour today. Call Amy Simon at The Weils at 440.996.0504. Assisted Living • Rehab Pavilion • Memory Care 16695 Chillicothe Road (Rt. 306), Chagrin Falls, OH 44023 Just north of E. Washington Street 440.543.4221 | asimon@theweils.org | theweils.org June 2015 n Beachwood Buzz 29