Free blood pressure checks are being given by a Cuyuna Regional Medical Center Registered Nurse at Super One grocery store in Crosby on Tuesdays and Thursdays during May from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Because May is High Blood Pressure Month, CRMC’s nurses are sharing resources about how to keep blood pressure in a healthy range. They will also provide advice on lowering blood pressure and explain why knowing and tracking your numbers is an essential step to managing high blood pressure.

According to the National Institutes of Health, half of Americans have high blood pressure, and many don’t know they have it. Everyone is encouraged to have their blood pressure checked and talk to the nurses about what their numbers mean.

Regularly checking your blood pressure is important because the higher your blood pressure is, the higher your risk of health problems.  If your blood pressure is high, it is putting extra strain on arteries and on the heart, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.

The risk for high blood pressure goes up as people get older. Individuals are also at an increased risk for high blood pressure if they are overweight, don’t’ get enough physical activity, drink too much alcohol, don’t eat a healthy diet, have kidney failure, diabetes, or some types of heart disease.

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