St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Home of Texas Heart® Institute, and American College of Cardiology to Offer Free Heart Health Screenings Feb. 23
St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital (SLEH), home of Texas Heart Institute (THI), is partnering with the American College of Cardiology’s CardioSmart initiative, a program that encourages patients to play an active role in their own heart health, to offer free cardiovascular health screenings on February 23.
The screenings will be offered at the Trotter Family YMCA, 1331 Augusta Drive, Houston, 8-11 a.m.
Members of the community and YMCA members will have access to body mass index measurements, glucose (non-fasting) testing, cholesterol tests, blood pressure tests and waist circumference measurements. A cardiologist also will be on hand to answer questions. Participants will have access to CardioSmart educational materials that offer tips for living a heart healthy lifestyle.
Tours of the YMCA and seven-day passes also will be available for non-members.
“It is amazing how small changes in a daily routine can improve cardiovascular health long term, “said THI Cardiologist Raymond Stainback, MD, FACC. “ I’m excited that Houstonians will be able to learn their basic health numbers quickly and understand how to take charge of their personal cardiovascular health.”
Multiple hospitals nationwide will offer similar screenings in February as part of CardioSmart’s American Heart Month initiative to raise awareness of preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of heart disease—the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.
“To reduce their risk of heart disease, people need to learn what the risk factors are, know their individual numbers associated with those risks and know how to improve those numbers if needed,” said CardioSmart Chief Medical Expert JoAnne M. Foody, MD, FACC. “Lifestyle changes, like eating healthy and being active, which are implemented today, can make a measurable difference in a person’s risk for heart disease in the future.”
