Avail of free blood pressure checks
THE Irish Heart Foundation’s Mobile Health Unit, sponsored by EUROSPAR, is coming to Mayo this week.
The unit will visit EUROSPAR Swinford on Thursday, January 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and EUROSPAR Belmullet on Friday, January 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Nurses will be on hand to offer locals free blood pressure checks, heart health information and lifestyle advice in professional consultation rooms.
The leading cause of stroke and heart attack, high blood pressure is a silent killer. Almost two thirds (64%) of people over 50 in Ireland have high blood pressure – that’s almost 800,000 people.
Once identified, high blood pressure is manageable through lifestyle changes and possibly medication, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The Irish Heart Foundation is urging people in Mayo and nearby to avail of the quick and non-invasive free blood pressure check and to pop into the Mobile Health Unit on its visit to Swinford and Belmullet.
With over 22,000 free blood pressure checks completed by the Mobile Health Unit in its first two years, the Irish Heart Foundation is planning to carry out more than 10,000 further free checks in the coming year with the support of EUROSPAR supermarkets locally.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Marese Damery, Health Check Manager at the Irish Heart Foundation, said: “I would really encourage people in Mayo to come along to EUROSPAR Swinford or EUROSPAR Belmullet and visit our Mobile Health Unit. Our nurses will be on hand to check blood pressure and provide lifestyle advice.
“Eighty per cent of premature cardiovascular disease is caused by lifestyle factors such as smoking, an unhealthy diet, a lack of physical activity, and harmful alcohol use. These behaviours also contribute to high blood pressure but by making positive lifestyle changes, people can reduce their risk of high blood pressure and improve their overall cardiovascular health.”
For more information and to find out when the Irish Heart Foundation's mobile health unit will be in your area, visit the Irish Heart Foundation’s website, www.irishheart.ie.