Dangers of high blood pressure topic of talk in Port Hadlock on May 7

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, April 21, 2015

PORT HADLOCK — A registered nurse and cardiology services director will tell of the danger high blood pressure poses to the heart May 7.

The lecture will be at 6 p.m. at the Jefferson County Library, 620 Cedar Ave. in Port Hadlock.

Judy Tordini will present “The Silent Killer: Elevated Blood Pressure and the Risk on Your Heart.”

After the program, she will perform blood pressure checks for those interested.

The program is free and open to everyone.

The talk is one in an educational series, WellHearts, that Jefferson Healthcare hospital has launched.

WellHearts focuses on raising awareness of the importance of heart health in Jefferson County, said Kate Burke, Jefferson Healthcare spokeswoman.

Although the talks are for all, woman especially need to hear the message, she said.

According to Burke, heart disease is the top killer of women — more than all forms of cancer combined — yet only one in five women believe heart disease is her greatest health threat.

“You can change these statistics through effective prevention and education,” Burke said.

While heart disease risk begins to rise in middle age, heart disease develops over time and can start at a young age, even in the teen years.

Outcomes can be changed through effective prevention programs and education on healthy eating, exercise and other lifestyle changes.

“It’s never too early or too late to take action to prevent and control the risk factors for heart disease,” Burke said.

For more information about the hospital, visit www.jeffersonhealthcare.org.