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You might have high blood pressure and not even know.
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, half of all American adults have high blood pressures and 1 in 3 adults are not aware. In order to increase public health awareness, the San Mateo County Libraries is now providing battery-operated blood pressure monitor kits for community members to borrow.
“Having high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, heart attacks, brain strokes or developing chronic kidney disease,” said Dr. Curtis Chan, deputy health officer for San Mateo County Health.
The kits are a recent addition to the county’s Library of Things, a collection of items that go beyond the libraries books — including sewing machines, board games, bicycles, hiking equipment, state park passes and more.
This community health initiative is in partnership with San Mateo County Health and the Healthcare for the Homeless/Farmworker Health Program. The county libraries piloted blood pressure monitor kits at the Half Moon Bay Library and saw great success in its program, leading to its expansion to provide kits at all 13 locations.
This collaborative program started with an emphasis on supporting farmworkers and people experiencing houselessness, according to San Mateo County Libraries Access Services Manager Francis Hébert
Because many adults do not get regular checkups with their doctors, they might be oblivious to their high blood pressure, Chan said. It’s recommended that after the age of 40, all adults get an annual blood pressure screening, he added.
Health officials often refer to high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, as a “silent killer,” leading to serious health complications that can cause death if left unchecked. Chan explained that regularly monitoring blood pressure to ensure it’s not elevated can prevent worsening health conditions.
Chan said that while increased physical activities and a decrease in smoking across the country has improved high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease over the last several decades, it is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States.
“There are still significant disparities in our population, particularly for people who have stressful jobs and less opportunities for recreational physical activity, so it’s still a definite public health problem,” Chan said.
Hébert said the monitors fit well into the general initiative of the Library of Things, aiming to provide ways for people to connect with the community and the outdoors.
The blood pressure monitors have been circulating throughout all county libraries for the past six months. Hébert said the kits are in high demand. Along with the monitor comes a personal log and multilingual educational materials in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Tagalog.
“I think that the libraries have truly become a wonderful community center for public health,” said Chan, who recently witnessed a tai chi class in one of the library gardens and older adults chatting with each other while checking out books.
The San Mateo County Libraries hosts other wellness events such as gardening, yoga, brain games, nutrition workshops and walking clubs.
The blood pressure monitor kits are one way that public libraries are continuing to evolve with the expanding needs of the community. Just like books and other items in the Library of Things, the monitors can be checked out for three weeks at a time and are available on a first come, first served basis.
For more information on the blood pressure monitors and other items visit smcl.org/libraryofthings.
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