OCH partners with UMMC to study cardiovascular issues in rural areas

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Oktibbeha County residents get a chance to learn more about a multi-state healthcare study and possibly become participants in it.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center is one of the regional medical centers participating in the nationwide Risk Underlying Rural Areas Longitudinal or, RURAL, Study.

OCH Regional Medical Center is working in partnership with UMMC to enlist participants in the study.

Today, area residents got a chance to visit the Mobile Examination Unit and learn more about the program.

People in 10 counties across Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Kentucky will be taking part in the study that is examining why people in rural areas tend to suffer more cardiovascular issues than people in urban areas do.

“Well, you know a lot of heart attacks and strokes are happening in the rural areas, out of proportion to what we see in urban areas. And we’re not really clear why that is, and so, they’re doing this study to do a comprehensive examination of these people, and try to see what are the targets; what are the reasons, and then what would be the best way to address that,” said Dr. Ervin Fox, Principal Investigator of RURAL Study.

UMMC is looking for 718 people of various ethnicities between the ages of 25 and 64 who have lived in Oktibbeha County for at least six months.

If you’d like to participate you can check out the UMMC RURAL Study Facebook page.

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