Blog
February is Heart Health Month
by Dr. Sameer Chinoy and Lorena Loci
Hypertension
About 1 of 3 U.S. adults (75 million people) suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension. Only about half (54%) of these people have their blood pressure under control (CDC). Hypertension is often called the “silent killer” because most of the time, hypertension has no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong. It develops slowly and over time, and it cannot be cured but only managed through lifestyle changes and medications (American Heart Association).
Significance:
Uncontrolled hypertension increases risks for heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death in the United States. More than 360,000 American deaths in 2013 included hypertension as a primary or contributing cause. Additionally, hypertension increases the risk for dangerous health conditions such as: first heart attack (seven out of ten people have their first heart attack due to high blood pressure), first stroke (eight out of ten people have their first stroke due to high BP), chronic heart failure, and kidney disease (CDC).
Whittier Street Health Center is committed to raising awareness about hypertension and to providing the best care possible to our patients who are currently living with high blood pressure. The center will soon be starting a hypertension clinic with group visits. The purpose of these is providing more time for patients to address their needs comprehensively and create a plan for improvement of overall health.
We encourage patients to take full advantage of our services, including our hypertension clinic that is supported by our clinicians, clinical pharmacist, and high risk nurse. Additionally, we also offer nutrition counseling by a licensed dietician and fitness classes at our Wellness and Fitness Club.
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