Southampton Hospital was the driving force behind a regional outreach campaign in February, as part of Heart Month. The crusade was in support of a national effort by the American Heart Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Million Hearts to increase awareness of heart disease.
Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States and uncontrolled high blood pressure is a leading cause of both heart disease and stroke, according to CDC. Those with high blood pressure are three times more likely to die from heart disease and four times more likely to die from a stroke, compared to people with normal blood pressure.
The Hospital’s educational outreach began with an open house hosted by the Hospital’s Cardio Pulmonary Rehabilitation team. The free event featured heart health screenings, healthy food samples, and information about improving heart health. Later in the month, staff members from Southampton Hospital’s Ed & Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute visited Southampton Intermediate School to speak with students about heart health, and joined forces with Physical Education Teacher Jayne Katz to create a 5-week course for students to test out a variety of fitness training options.
For more information about upcoming Southampton Hospital events, visit www.southamptonhospital.org
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