Nearly half of adults have high blood pressure and many don’t even know it. In fact, high blood pressure, or hypertension, is the second leading cause of preventable heart disease and stroke deaths. The American Heart Association is encouraging the Southwest Florida community to #CheckIt, a program locally sponsored by Lee Health as part of a collaboration to improve the health of our community through education.
“Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We need to help more adults recognize that they have hypertension and take appropriate steps to control it. If not, we risk the continual reversal of the progress made fighting cardiovascular disease in Southwest Florida,” said Dr. Malissa Wood, chief executive of the Lee Health Heart Institute.
The #CheckIt campaign is encouraging everyone to:
• Check your blood pressure; many local pharmacies offer free blood pressure checks.
• Know what these numbers mean.
• Talk to your doctor to develop a plan to keep this key health indicator in a healthy range.
American Heart Association and Lee Health urge SWFL to #CheckIt
• Encourage friends and family to do the same by posting a photo on social media of you getting your blood pressure checked, using the hashtag #CheckIt.
High blood pressure is a silent killer that can lead to preventable disease, disability and death. It can cause heart attacks, heart failure, and stroke. It disproportionately affects people of color compared to White people in America. Black Americans have among the highest rates of hypertension in the world and nearly half of Hispanic adults have high blood pressure and do not know it.
“The health of our community is of utmost importance and opportunities like this allow us to provide additional information needed to improve their health,” said Stephanie Wardein, Lee Health’s system director of community affairs. “During health fairs and community events, Lee Health provides opportunities to speak with nurses and even check blood pressure. We hope residents will feel empowered, armed with information and opportunities to improve their own health.”
“Since 2020, major challenges, from a global pandemic to a devastating hurricane, have affected our community’s heart health. Stress and unhealthy eating habits have increased, while choices that help keep our hearts healthy have decreased. In addition to being less physically active, many patients have skipped medications, doctor’s visits and even delayed care in emergency situations,” said Jessaca Rodriguez, executive director of the American Heart Association in Southwest Florida. “It is critical that everyone take the time to get their blood pressure checked and that’s why we are encouraging everyone to #CheckIt here in Southwest Florida.”
Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 and blood pressure can be largely controlled through a combination of lifestyle changes, medication or both.
To learn more about blood pressure, visit heart.org/bloodpressure. ¦
The post American Heart Association and Lee Health urge SWFL to #CheckIt first appeared on Bonita Springs Florida Weekly .
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