PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is sometimes called a silent killer because many of us may be unaware we even have it.
This Heart Health Month, volunteers with the nonprofit group Healthy Portsmouth are working to raise awareness about the condition and save lives by offering free blood pressure screenings across the city.
“There are a lot of people in Portsmouth that have hypertension that don’t know it," said Amy Paulson, a Healthy Portsmouth Coalition Member and Eastern Virginia Medical School Instructor. “Portsmouth has some of the highest rates of hospitalizations and deaths from blood pressure-related problems.”
The initiative is called the Million Hearts Blood Pressure Screenings. Paulson said even if you already have hypertension it’s important to get regular screenings.
“A lot people that we screened told us, ‘I already have hypertension but I’m on medication and my blood pressure’s always been normal.’ And they said, ‘Oh I’ll just go ahead and get screened anyway,’ and then they were high," she said.
Paulson said high blood pressure is the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes in the U-S and it can even lead to eye and kidney damage.
“And the thing about blood pressure is that it can be controlled," Paulson said. But you have to know your numbers and that means checking your blood pressure regularly.
Paulson and her team have visited libraries, churches, and barber shops in Portsmouth offering free screenings.
“We’re doing follow up with everybody who had an elevated blood pressure just to really ensure that they have access to care, that they’ve seen their doctor,' hat they have an appointment, that they’re taking their medications," Paulson said. "We’re also hoping we’re going to be able to get some grant funding to be able to provide classes and blood pressure cuffs for those who need to be self-monitoring at home.”
The goal is to screen at least one thousand people this year with a focus on minority and low-income residents - communities that can experience health inequities.
“Health equity is a huge piece of what we all need to be focusing on," Paulson said. "There are disparities in our communities that put different populations at increased risk not only for experiencing health problems but for dying from them… We all have a responsibility in communities when we see an inequity to address that and to do something active about it.”
The Healthy Portsmouth Coalition is hosting another screening event this Tuesday at Portsmouth City Hall on the first floor from 3:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon.