In recognition of the American Heart Associations Go Red for Women Day Feb. 3, Union Hospital and the Dover Public Library have partnered to offer free heart health screenings from 9-11 a.m. The screenings, held at the Dover Public Library, will be conducted by UH Community Health and Wellness nurses and include blood pressure, blood sugar and total cholesterol. An optional lipid panel analysis, which measures the good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides, will be available at the same time for a special reduced rate of $5. No appointments are necessary.
We thought that Go Red for Women Day would be an ideal time to offer these screenings as a way to encourage people to make having a healthy heart a priority, said Pam Dummermuth, Union Hospital community health and wellness coordinator. When it comes to heart health, it is important to become familiar with your risk factors. A simple screening test like this can quickly provide that information and hopefully motivate people to make some lifestyle changes that will positively impact their health.
In addition to the screenings, each participant will receive a Red Dress pin from the American Heart Association. A raffle for a heart healthy book will also be available. Refreshments will be provided by the Dover Library. Screenings are open to both men and women.
Becoming informed about your health is one of the best things you can do for yourself, said Jim Gill, director of the Dover Public Library. We work hard to make sure that we have up-to-date health literature in order to equip individuals with information that will assist them in achieving a healthy lifestyle or in gaining a better understanding of a health issue they may be experiencing.
Fasting is recommended for the most accurate cholesterol results. For more information, call the UH community health and wellness office at 330-602-0779.
