Members of UNITED SIKHS Commmunity Empowerment & Education (CEED) conduct blood pressure check ups to measure hypertension and advise on safe numbers
New York City/New Jersey, USA: UNITED SIKHS conducts blood pressure checkups and informs the community members on the importance of regular blood pressure monitoring and knowing your numbers. This is the first step in controlling and preventing high blood pressure. Based on health department data, 27% of South Asians in NYC have hypertension (Yi et al., 2016). Hypertension, heart disease, and stroke are some of the leading causes of death among South Asian Americans.
Take these simple steps to have a healthier heart and lower your risk for developing hypertension:
1. Monitor your blood pressure readings: talk to your doctor or a health worker about your blood pressure. Aim for target blood pressure < 140/90 mmHg for most hypertensive patients and < 130/80 mmHg for those with diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
2. Engage in physical activity: Experts recommend 30 minutes 5 times a week.
3. Eat less salt, eat more fruits and vegetables: learn to read food labels and monitor sodium intake levels. The recommended daily allowance of sodium is 2300 milligrams, unless you are given a lower target by your doctor.
Excess sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure.
If you are taking medication for hypertension, make sure to follow exact instructions regarding dosage and frequency as directed by your primary care provider.
Every month, trained volunteers are checking blood pressure for free at Gurdwara Singh Sabha (Carteret, NJ), Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar (Carteret, NJ) and Gurdwara Baba Majha Singh Karamjot Sikh Center (South Ozone Park, NY) as part of the Keep on Track program. Keep on Track (KOT) is a hypertension awareness program supported by New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The goal of the program is to offer blood pressure monitoring at community based organizations to help community members prevent and control high blood pressure.
The KOT program and other related project activities are part of REACH FAR, a 3-year program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through a REACH grant awarded to the NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health (NYU CSAAH). REACH FAR stands for Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health for Asian Americans, and the goal of the program is to prevent cardiovascular disease in Asian Americans living in New York/New Jersey by increasing access to healthy foods and culturally tailored health coaching efforts to improve high blood pressure management. Core partners include: UNITED SIKHS; Korean Community Services; Kalusugan Coalition; the Diabetes Research, Education, and Action for Minorities (DREAM) Coalition; and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Know your numbers, most heart attacks and strokes are preventable.
To find out more about the program or participate in the monthly screenings, contact us at ceed-usa@unitedsikhs.org or 1-718-441-6644.
To know more about the UNITED SIKHS CEED project click here.
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