A Measured Step Toward Better Health: American Heart Association and Northern Light Health Deliver 64 BP Cuffs to Greater Portland Health
In Maine, close to 32% of all adults suffer from high blood pressure and deaths from this condition have steadily climbed over the past two decades. High blood pressure – a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke – is often referred to as “the silent killer” since it frequently has no symptoms and many people don’t know they have it.
Greater Portland Health will receive 64 blood pressure cuffs and educational material to support a self-measured blood pressure initiative among their patient population at their clinics located within public housing sites at Sagamore Village, Riverton Park, and Franklin towers. Some cuffs may also be used for patients served by their mobile unit as well.
The cuffs, donated by the American Heart Association and Northern Light Health, will make it easier for people to keep track of their blood pressure at home and help prevent death and disability from both heart disease and stroke.
Self-monitoring empowers patients to stay informed and take charge of their cardiovascular health and is also important for treatment and diagnosis. Health care providers can use the blood pressure readings that patients have recorded at home to confirm diagnoses or to monitor the impacts of medication and lifestyle changes.
Aline Iskandar, MD, cardiologist with Northern Light Health, briefly highlighted the importance of blood pressure monitoring and control to reduce heart disease risk. “The goal is empowering people to take good care of their cardiovascular health primarily through preventative means,” said Dr. Iskandar. “By making blood pressure cuffs easily accessible and teaching people how to use them, this initiative is a great tool in helping people identify possible issues before an emergency occurs.”
Greater Portland Health clinicians will instruct their patients on how to check and monitor their blood pressure over several weeks at home with these user-friendly cuffs. The Association’s educational materials will provide further instructions and valuable information about the effects of high blood pressure and how to prevent it.
For more information about blood pressure, visit www.Heart.org/BP.