INTRODUCTION
Poorly controlled hypertension (HTN) is a significant public health concern in the United States, in terms of morbidity, mortality, and economic burden, especially among older minority adults [1-3]. Patient-level barriers to optimal HTN control [4-6] include potentially reversible adverse lifestyle behaviors such as high sodium intake, lack of physical activity, low fruit and vegetable intake. Despite compelling evidence supporting the beneficial effects of therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) on blood pressure (BP) reduction from large clinical trials conducted in academic research settings [7-15], there is little evidence to support their effectiveness in community-based settings [16]. The efficacy vs. effectiveness gap is particularly evident among elderly patients, especially minority elders who have abysmally low rates of BP control [3,17]. Thus, beyond the efficacy of TLC on BP reduction, it is equally important to evaluate its generalizability to a broad range of at-risk populations in community settings. The current study will address this gap in the literature by evaluating the effectiveness of an empirically validated lifestyle intervention on BP reduction in community-based senior centers, thus emphasizing its translation to practice.