Cinco De Mayo Will Offer San Francisco Free Cardiovascular Health Screenings And Health Management Products

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Hypertension
Article Date: 02 May 2009 - 9:00 PDT

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Thousands of San Franciscans will celebrate Mexican pride and heritage this Cinco de Mayo, and the American Society of Hypertension, Inc. (ASH) is taking this opportunity to reach out to a community in special need of access to health services.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure - known as 'the silent killer' - is the most common risk factor for developing cardiovascular and kidney disease and affects more than 70 million Americans.[1] Hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease. Research shows that Mexican Americans with hypertension are less likely to know they have the illness and are less likely to be treated compared with other races and ethnicities.[2] To help address this urgent need, ASH will sponsor the Health Fair Pavilion at the San Francisco Cinco de Mayo festival being held at Mission Dolores Park on Saturday, May 2, and provide free comprehensive blood pressure and cholesterol screenings.

These screenings are part of ASH's Second Annual Community Outreach Program and a precursor to its Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition, being held this year in San Francisco, May 6-9 at the San Francisco Marriott.

"We continue to see rising rates of high blood pressure across the country. To combat this, it is imperative that we not only educate healthcare professionals about how to effectively treat hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but that we simultaneously strive to provide practical education to patients," said Henry R. Black, M.D., president of the American Society of Hypertension. "This is our mission in action - promoting strategies to prevent hypertension and improve the care of patients. As we did in New Orleans last year, we are reaching out directly to the communities in most need to provide the services that will have a visible impact."

ASH will provide multi-faceted educational activities and materials designed with San Francisco's unique hypertension and vascular health challenges in mind. Patient information will be provided in both English and Spanish. At the ASH Health Pavilion trained healthcare providers will provide a range of services:

• Free Blood Pressure, BMI, Cholesterol, Glucose Screenings and Counseling Sessions
  Screening results will be compiled into a comprehensive report within minutes, and will be reviewed with the participant by a qualified medical provider. Those whose measures are outside of a healthy range will receive a listing of local clinics that are aware of the ASH Community Outreach, and expecting to receive patient follow up.


• Free Health Management Products
  Those participants whose blood pressure is more than 140/90 mm Hg will receive a complimentary blood pressure unit and instructions for properly using the device. Those individuals whose BMI (body mass index) is out of range will receive a BMI body measure tape and bathroom scale. The blood pressure units and bathroom scales have been generously donated by HoMedics, Inc.


• Free Exercise Sessions
  Exercise is an important component of effective hypertension management, so ASH will be providing free Zumba exercise sessions led by a qualified instructor.


• Complimentary Healthy Snacks
  Proper nutrition provides a solid foundation to help prevent cardiovascular disease and maintain healthy blood pressure levels. Along with complimentary recipe cards, several in-season fruits and vegetables will be provided to participants, free of charge.

ASH is committed to educating physicians, allied healthcare professionals and the public about new research findings and treatment options designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. ASH conducts year-round educational initiatives, including sponsoring scientific meetings to provide a forum for the discussion of evidence-based medicine, peer-reviewed journals (The Journal of Clinical Hypertension and The Journal of the American Society of Hypertension), and scientific accreditation programs.

To help further understand effective treatment strategies, ASH recently published papers on hypertension in pregnancy, the treatment of hypertension in patients with diabetes and the use of home and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. These papers can be accessed at http://www.ash-us.org/pub/position_papers.htm.

[1] "Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics "2007 Update." American Heart Association; p.46; Table 5-1 and p. 43. [2] "Hypertension Awareness, Treatment, and Control - Continued Disparities in Adults: United States, 2005- 2006"; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics; http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db03.pdf

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