Did you know that you can now visit the La Pintoresca Library and Hastings Branch Library in Pasadena and check out a blood pressure screening kit for use at home, just like you check out books?
A new collaboration between the American Heart Association (AHA) and San Gabriel Valley area libraries makes this possible, and even includes educational materials when you check out a BP kit so you can learn the proper way of measuring your blood pressure at home and understand what the numbers mean.
In Altadena, the Main Library, at 600 E. Mariposa Street, and the Bob Lucas Library, at 2659 Lincoln Ave., are also part of this effort.
Aside from lending out BP kits, the Altadena Main Library will also host free hypertension screenings monthly by Huntington Health, a sponsor of the AHA. The screenings are part of Huntington Health’s clinical support for the collaboration.
In the U.S. and worldwide, high blood pressure – or hypertension – is referred to as the “silent killer” because it often does not have obvious symptoms. Over time and left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to life-threatening problems, including heart attack and stroke. The AHA says nearly half of U.S. adults have hypertension but one third are not aware they have it.
The best way to know if your blood pressure is high is to check it, says the AHA, and that’s why they’re collaborating with local organizations to reduce uncontrolled high blood pressure in Los Angeles County by helping improve access to resources, such as BP monitoring devices, and address other health barriers.
The AHA said it plans to expand the blood pressure kit check-out program to other libraries across Los Angeles County. Each kit contains an automatic blood pressure monitor, instructions on how to take your blood pressure, and educational materials explaining what the numbers mean.
For more about monitoring your blood pressure at home, check out this AHA page, www.heart.org/en/health-
The participating libraries include the Altadena Library and Bob Lucas Library in Altadena, and the La Pintoresca Library and Hastings Branch Library in Pasadena.
