Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure and many don’t even know they have it. In fact, high blood pressure, or hypertension, is the second leading cause of preventable heart disease and stroke death. This June, the American Heart Association and Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital are encouraging all people in Chattanooga to #CheckIt.
“As a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, if we don’t help more adults control their blood pressure, we risk continual reversal of progress made fighting cardiovascular disease here in Chattanooga,” says Scott Rowe, Encompass Health CEO.
The American Heart Association’s #CheckIt campaign is encouraging everyone to:
- Check your blood pressure; many local pharmacies offer free blood pressure checks;
- know what these numbers mean and what’s too high;
- talk to your doctor to develop a plan to keep this key health indicator in a healthy range;
- and encourage friends and family to do the same by posting a photo on social media of you getting your blood pressure checked so others will be encouraged to do it as well, using the hashtag #CheckIt.
High blood pressure is a silent killer that causes unnecessary and inequitable disease, disability and death. It can cause heart attacks, heart failure, stroke and can even increase risk for serious complications or death from COVID-19. These pre-existing conditions are also contributing to racial disparities in coronavirus death rates. Black Americans have among the highest rates of high blood pressure in the world and nearly half of Hispanic adults have high blood pressure and may not know it.
Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 and blood pressure can be largely controlled through a combination of lifestyle changes or medication or both.
To learn more about blood pressure visit heart.org/bloodpressure. #CheckIt is locally sponsored by Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Chattanooga.