Wyoming Residents Encouraged to Get Health Numbers During Heart Month

February is Heart Month, and libraries across Wyoming will celebrate by encouraging patrons to check out a blood pressure cuff and “get to know their numbers.”

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Wyoming and the U.S. One in five people dies from it each year, even though it is largely preventable. Research shows that many Americans will likely develop some form of heart disease, but Wyomingites do not have to be part of those numbers.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, persons can act by making small lifestyle changes, including getting to know their numbers that help reduce their risk and improve their overall health.

Self-measured blood pressure monitoring kits are now available for checkout at all 23 counties and in 67 different libraries across the state. A total of 1,255 kits have been checked out across the state since the start of this program two years ago.

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 state’s 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.

While self-measurement of 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.

In celebration of Heart Month, all Wyomingites are encouraged to support a heart-healthy lifestyle with these tips:

-- Control high blood pressure. Check out a blood pressure kit at a local library and “get to know your numbers.”

-- Eat better. Select nutritious snacks, such as whole fruits, dried fruits, unsalted rice cakes, fat-free and low-fat yogurt, or raw vegetables. Use herbs and spices instead of salt.

-- Add more movement to your day such as eat less; take the stairs; add steps into the day by parking away from a destination; and march in place or walk around the block. Anything that gets a heart beating counts.

-- Stop or do not start smoking. Make a list of the reasons to quit, select a quit date, and talk to a health care provider about resources that can help.

-- Get enough quality sleep. If possible, aim for at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night; and go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.

-- Manage stress. Use relaxation techniques that combine breathing and focused attention on pleasing thoughts and images to calm the mind and body.

-- Maintain a healthy weight. Discuss with a health care provider if weight is in a healthy range. If a person does not need to lose weight, choose healthy food, get regular exercise and consider joining a weight loss program.

-- Control cholesterol. Make healthy food choices, such as limiting saturated fats found in fatty cuts of meat, dairy products and desserts; increase physical activity; and do not smoke.

-- Manage blood sugar. Monitor carbohydrate intake and choose complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and legumes, to help control blood sugar levels.

“Information is power and, the more information a patient and their doctor have, the better the treatment plan,” says Kara Beach, a regional 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 the health of our communities.”

Wyoming libraries are committed to building and supporting strong, healthy 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 WyCOA, go to www.uwyo.edu/healthierwyo/.

To learn more about how to prevent heart disease, visit www.hearttruth.gov.