Heart health event put on by Ventura City Fire
The month of February is about more than just candy and flowers, it is also Heart Health month.
In support of Heart Health month, every Ventura City Fire station opened their doors on this Valentine’s Day and offered free blood pressure screenings as well as information about how to lower the risk of heart disease.
“A big reason to get your blood pressure checked is to make sure that your overall health is good and having a healthy diet and healthy exercise is just part of it,” said Daniel Stowe with the Ventura City Fire Department.
“Normal blood pressure we like to say is 120 over 80, but it varies on your age, overall fitness, and overall health. The real highs we are looking for are above 150 for the top number and extremely high would be someone with a blood pressure over 200 and that is a precursor and a risk factor for stroke and cardiac issues,” said Matthew Clapsaddle with the Ventura City Fire Department.
Fire personnel also encouraged local residents to learn CPR and download the app ‘PulsePoint’ on their phone. It alerts everyday citizen when someone nearby is in cardiac arrest. The goal of the app is someone who is CPR certified and in the area can help save a life during the critical minutes before rescue crews arrive.
