New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
On February 10th, New Bedford’s annual “Love Your Heart” Day will offer free blood pressure screenings to residents at more than a dozen participating sites from 9:00am-1:00pm.
Communities and neighborhoods throughout the City of New Bedford will once again join a growing national movement to “Love Your Heart” on February 10th. Individuals will have a chance to receive free blood pressure screenings at participating sites, helping them to “know their numbers” and learn more about their heart health.
More than a dozen locations will be staffed with trained volunteers to administer the screenings. Participants will receive a rating of their blood pressure, learn of any potential risks for harm, and receive information specific to their current reading. They’ll also receive educational materials and guidance on what to do to both improve and/or maintain optimal heart health.
Lead organizer Dr. Michael Rocha, cardiologist at Hawthorn Medical Associates and Director of the New Bedford Wellness Initiative says that 4 out of 5 heart attacks can be prevented through regular exercise, smoking cessation, stress reduction, and a healthy diet, all of which help to control blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. He adds, “About 30% of adults have high blood pressure and only about 50% have it under control. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and kidney disease. We need people to ‘Love Your Heart’ because “Life is Why.”
Love Your Heart NB engages various community partners in healthcare, the fire and police community, universities, city government, nonprofits, and the business community. The event will take place on Sunday February 10th from 9:00am – 1:00pm at participating sites. All locations can be found at www.nbewell.com.
Love Your Heart is an initiative that was originally started by the County of San Diego in California. The event has expanded into communities across the West Coast and South into Mexico. New Bedford is the first and only location in the East Coast to fully implement the initiative.
