Dear Editor:
On June 3-5, 7-19 and 24-26, I was honored to work alongside a team of health care professionals at Newport Centre Mall. I cannot begin to state how much I learned from these individuals and how much pride I had in the noble work at hand.
Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp teamed up with Simon Malls and EventProStrategies conducting a free blood pressure testing. This free program educated the public on the immediate and real dangers of uncontrolled blood pressure. It taught so many people about risk factors and lifestyle choices that impact on a healthy blood pressure. Did anybody know that 28 percent of American adults or about 59 million people have “pre Hyper tension?” That high blood pressure is 2-3 times more common in women taking oral contraceptives than in women not taking them? Nearly 65 million people in the U.S have high blood pressure (nearly 1 in 4 adults) or that 50 percent of people on high blood pressure medication have high blood pressure that is still too high? And that 30 percent of people with high blood pressure don’t know they have it? I sure didn’t! But now I do and thousands of people do as well. Medical experts agree it is best to keep your blood pressure below 140/90. Some may need it to be even lower.
I would like to thank all the people responsible for this invaluable course of action including Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp, Simon Malls (Newport Centre), EventProStrategies and my fellow Health Care professional staff members: the lovely mother and daughter combo of Nilda and Adel Wilson, the trusting Alex Abrahentes, Almond Adams, Mariana Saavedra, Niranjan Patel and the talent extraordinaires from EventProStrategies Jessica Browder and Brooke Beeler.
On Friday through Sunday, July 8-10 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. we will be concluding this blessed event. If you don’t know your blood pressure numbers and their importance, please come by our table at Newport Center Mall. We will be located near the information desk below the Food Court. We are committed to helping men and women manage their blood pressure and can help develop many ways to get into the success zone, including medications and a patient support program. Come by and roll up your sleeve. It’s free!
James Francis Waddleton