Blood Pressure Screenings

It is estimated that 1 in 3 persons in the U.S. has high blood pressure or hypertension.

High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing it to enlarge and weaken, and increases stress on blood vessels and other organs of the body. It increases the risk for a number of diseases, including congestive heart failure, kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke. When other conditions or risk factors are present, the risk from high blood pressure increases several times over. High blood pressure is sometimes called the ‘silent killer’ because it usually has no noticeable warning signs or symptoms until serious problems arise. Therefore, many people do not know that they have it. Yet, high blood pressure is easily detectable and usually can be controlled. Therefore, it is important for you to know your blood pressure level, and to check it regularly.

High blood pressure can be controlled through proper diet, loosing excess weight, regular exercise, restricting salt intake, limiting alcohol use, not smoking tobacco products and through the use of antihypertensive medications (Source: New York State Department of Health).

Consult your physician about having your blood pressure checked and any personal concern you may have about high blood pressure.

CDC Blood Pressure Info Link: http://cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm

Cholesterol Screening

High blood cholesterol increases the risk of coronary heart disease, especially when other risk factors are present. Having a total blood cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or lower is considered desirable by the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). High cholesterol can be controlled through diet modification, increased physical activity and with the use of lipid lowering agents.