It’s a quick and easy screening that could save someone’s life.
Free blood pressure checks are being offered at dozens of locations throughout San Diego County on Thursday as part of “Love Your Heart Day.” The effort is a collaboration between the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency and the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation.
Barbara Mandel, the director of the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation, said most people don't get an annual physical exam.
“And so, for all of them, who only go to the doctor when they’re ill or in pain, this is a fast way for them to check on their heart health," she said.
Mandel said the goal is to screen 25,000 people during the one-day event.
High blood pressure is called a “silent killer” because it has no symptoms. But left untreated, it can greatly increase one’s risk for heart attack and stroke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, about one in three American adults has high blood pressure.
