In a partnership with the American Heart Association, the San Benito County Free Library now offers blood pressure monitors and monitoring kits that local residents can check out and take home.
The effort gives San Benito County residents a useful resource to manage their blood pressure and a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. The resources are offered locally through the Libraries with Heart program, which is managed by the American Heart Association.
“Libraries are a great way to bring helpful health tools directly into the community,” said Juan A. Perez, Program Coordinator at the San Benito County Free Library. “We know that high blood pressure is a major health threat and now our community can find tools at their local library to help them manage their heart and brain health.
“Through this program, community members can access blood pressure monitors along with American Heart Association resources that explain how to measure blood pressure at home, what their numbers mean and options to connect with local care providers for follow-up support.”
High blood pressure is known as “the silent killer” because it often does not show symptoms, says a press release from the American Heart Association. The only way to know if you suffer from high blood pressure is to have it checked.
Nearly half of American adults, or about 47.3%, have high blood pressure—a condition that increases their risk for heart attack, stroke or kidney disease, according to the AHA. The worst outcomes can be avoided if a patient is able to manage their blood pressure.
Many people are not aware of the status of their blood pressure due to lack of access to monitoring facilities and resources, according to the AHA. Libraries with Heart seeks to improve the health of local communities by providing resources for free or low cost for those who need them.
“Managing blood pressure shouldn’t be complicated or hard to access,” said Satjit Sanghera, M.D., American Heart Association volunteer medical expert and family medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente. “Libraries with Heart helps bring basic health tools and trusted information into familiar community spaces, allowing San Benito County residents to take control of their health and ultimately save lives from heart disease and stroke.”
Libraries with Heart is further administered in collaboration with the nonprofit Califa, which has provided blood pressure monitoring resources at a total of 24 libraries in 49 locations in rural areas in California. The program is also part of the Rural Health Connections Project, which is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
The San Benito County Free Library is located at 470 Fifth Street in Hollister. Library cards are free for county residents.
