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 SUMMER HEAT CAN AFFECT BLOOD PRESSURE.  

CHECKING BLOOD PRESSURE DAILY CAN HELP AVERT PROBLEMS.

St. Luke’s Medical Center provides FREE Blood Pressure Checks at
Heart Check Center ™ at Arizona Mills Mall

PHOENIX, Ariz. (AUG.1.2011) – The American Heart Association recently published the results of a European study regarding hot weather and blood pressure.   The findings just may surprise you. Hot weather may affect a drop in blood pressure during the day - and an increase at night.  The article states that those with high blood pressure should definitely observe how the climate affects them.  A simple way to do this is to take advantage of FREE blood pressure checks at the Heart Check Center™ at Arizona Mills Mall (5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle).  The article suggests recording a blood pressure reading and the outdoor temperature each day - and then discussing the results with a physician after one month.      

Recent statistics show that nearly one in three adults in Arizona has high blood pressure (hypertension). But because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don't know they have it, which is why high blood pressure is often called the "silent killer."  Although blood pressure testing is one of the easiest and most important routine health checks available, many Arizonans neglect to get regularly screened.  St. Luke’s Medical Center and Tempe St. Luke's Hospital are working to make blood pressure testing more accessible to the community. The hospitals sponsor a bright red, easy-to-spot Heart Check Center ™ blood pressure-testing kiosk at Arizona Mills. The Heart Check Center is located in Neighborhood #3 between JC Penney’s and Marshall's in the Oasis Court.  

The Heart Check Center is free to use, requires no appointment and is not invasive. Blood pressure check cards are also available so that people can keep a record of their results. The user simply places his/her arm in the testing cuff, and the Heart Check Center provides a clear and accurate blood pressure reading in just two minutes.

The Heart Check Center is not only easy to use - it can save lives.

Studies indicate that high blood pressure kills approximately 50,000 people in the U.S. each year, and contributes to the death of more than 200,000 annually. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure, and the only way to determine high blood pressure is to have it checked.

Lorena Silva, RN, chief nursing officer at St. Luke’s Medical Center and Tempe St. Luke's Hospital, says the Heart Check Center at Arizona Mills is a tremendous resource for the community. “We are proud to offer this service to the community - the HeartCheck Center is an effective way for us to educate the public about the importance of blood pressure screening,” she says, “Because it’s so easy to use, it is a powerful tool for early detection and information.”

Heart Check Center kiosk displays are owned and operated by Cardinal Pointe Communications, headquartered in Winter Haven, FL.