Public Libraries Encourage Patrons to Check Out Blood Pressure Cuffs and Complete Survey

To help further the development and future programming around cardiovascular health in the state, libraries throughout Wyoming are encouraging patrons to check out a blood pressure monitoring kit and complete the included survey.

Individuals who check out a kit and complete the included survey between April 1-June 8 could be eligible to win a $100 Amazon gift card. A random winner will be drawn each week from the surveys completed. The winner also will win a $100 Amazon gift card for the library that checked out the winning kit.

Self-measured blood pressure monitoring kits are available for checkout at 67 libraries in all 23 counties, with a total of 650 kits checked out across the state during the first year of the program. The kits are offered through a collaborative pilot project among the Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA) at the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Department of Health’s Chronic Disease Prevention Program and the public libraries.

The kits, available in both English and Spanish, include an automated home blood pressure cuff; blood pressure logbooks; educational materials from the American Heart Association; information on what blood pressure is; and ideas for healthy lifestyle changes. The kits also include a resource directory to local community-based organizations and referral resources to the Healthy U chronic disease self-management program.

Nearly half of adults in the United States -- 47 percent, or 116 million -- have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, or are taking medication for hypertension, and 24 percent with hypertension have their condition under control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Wyoming, 30.7 percent of adults have been told that they have high blood pressure, according to the Wyoming Department of Health’s Chronic Disease Prevention Program.

While self-measured blood pressure is not a substitute for regular visits to primary care physicians, it is a way for individuals to see and track their numbers, giving them more information that can be communicated to their doctors.

“Information is power and, the more information a patient and their doctor have, the better the treatment plan,” says Kara Beech, a senior project coordinator with WyCOA. “Better treatment plans lead to better overall health. It is exciting to see individuals across the state checking out kits to work on improving their health and that of our communities.”

This project provides a unique opportunity to offer the community more information about self-monitored blood pressure and its important role in health.

To learn more about the programs offered by UW’s WyCOA, go to www.uwyo.edu/healthierwyo/.