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Worksite screening to be offered Feb. 18
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The next worksite screening will be held Feb. 18 at Ashley River Tower. To register, visit http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/health1st and click on Worksite Screening.
The following information was taken from the worksite screening guide.
The guide is produced by the S.C. Employee Insurance Program and
can be found at http://www.eip.sc.gov/publications/Screening_Guide_complete.pdf .
The worksite screening, which costs $15, is a benefit of the S.C. State Health Insurance Plan.
Screening components
- Blood lipid profile (cholesterol, triglyceride, etc)
- Blood chemistry profile (thyroid, kidney, liver, etc)
- Hemogram (hemoglobin, hema-tocrit, white blood cells, etc)
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by a person’s blood volume
against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure is recorded as two
numbers in a fraction, such as 122/86. The top number (122) is known as
the “systolic” pressure during which the heart is contracting and
pumping blood away from itself, through the arteries, to the organs,
tissue and muscle. The bottom number (86) is called “diastolic”
pressure during which the heart is at rest. New blood pressure
guidelines include a new category called prehypertension.
What are the risk factors for hypertension?
The risk factors for developing hypertension can be hereditary and/or
lifestyle-related, or both. Hypertension is more likely to occur if it
runs in an individual’s family. However, this is the only risk factor
that cannot be changed. Risk factors you can change include:
- High amounts of salt in the diet
- Being in poor aerobic health due to a sedentary lifestyle
- Experiencing recurrent high stress
- Consuming high amounts of alcohol and saturated fats.
Making healthy choices regarding blood pressure
The choices made through time can cause or prevent a chronic disease,
such as hypertension. Just as the unhealthy behaviors listed above can
lead to facing the “silent killer,” healthy choices can prevent that
from happening or allow individuals with hypertension to manage their
condition effectively.
Making healthy choices if you do not have hypertension
- Have your blood pressure checked regularly
- Limit caffeine intake and alcohol use
- Eat healthy, low-fat, low-salt meals
- Stop smoking or using tobacco products
Making healthy choices if you have hypertension
- Stay on your medication schedule
- Monitor yourself at home using a sphygmomanometer
- Visit your physician to check blood pressure and medication
- Record and report medication side effects and other symptoms immediately
Friday, Feb. 12, 2010
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