In recognition of Love Your Heart Week, the County of San Diego will be hosting no-cost blood pressure screenings in locations throughout the county and in Mexico.
Love Your Heart Week of Action runs from Feb.11 through Feb.,19 with more than 300 locations across San Diego County and Mexico where you can get your blood pressure checked for free. Click here to find your nearest location now.
The Love Your Heart Week of Action was launched 12 years ago to encourage a deeper understanding of the importance of heart health.
“We all have a responsibility to keep ourselves and our families healthy,” said Nora Vargas, Chairwoman, of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “Through this program, our county is expanding access to healthcare beyond our borders and making it easy to get checked on your way to work or home from the store. Take charge of your health and keep your heart healthy, a 5-minute check can save your life! – ¡Cinco minutos pueden salvar tu vida!”
County officials say this year continues as an expanded week of action to combat one of the more preventable causes of death: heart disease. Behaviors that include a poor diet, physical inactivity, and tobacco use are proven to be most impactful on your health and contribute to chronic diseases such as Cancer, heart disease and stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, and Lung disease.
Among people in San Diego County, heart disease remains the second leading cause of death, equating to nearly 5,000 loved ones lost in 2021.
“While the statistics may seem grim, efforts like Love Your Heart have driven a 12 percent reduction in the percentage of deaths associated with preventable death threats from 2007 to 2019,” Dr. Ankita Kadakia, Deputy Public Health Officer. “By making small lifestyle changes and knowing your blood pressure numbers you can take control of your health.”
According to county officials, last year’s Love Your Heart campaign reached more than 7.5 million people. It gave community partners more than 6,000 blood pressure monitors to give to underserved residents and supplied Love Your Heart educational packets at all COVID-19 testing sites. The campaign also reached more than 500 people through community events, including the Refugee & Newcomer Fair.
