The campaign "Know your blood pressure"

On the May 13, 2015, in the framework of the World Hypertension Day the campaign "Know your blood pressure" took place. In St. Petersburg “City Centre for medical prevention” the staff of the scientific research Department of Arterial hypertension of the Federal North-West Federal Medical Research Centre organized active medical and educational work among all those who expressed interest in the event. Despite the rainy cool weather, the event attracted many people who wished to learn more about their health, cardiovascular risk factors, and methods of cardiovascular prevention.

St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region residents had an opportunity to know the level of total cholesterol and blood glucose directly in the lobby of the “City Centre of medical prevention”. Some visitors discovered the elevated cholesterol and blood glucose level for the first time. For them consultations of cardiologists of the Northwest Federal Medical Research Centre were particularly relevant. Some of them were encouraged to repeat fasting blood tests to confirm diagnosis of metabolic abnormalities.

After receiving the results of blood tests, the blood pressure was measured. Everyone was able to get from the cardiologists the detailed interpretation of his or her blood pressure level, the rules of its measurement and further actions to be taken for its correction. The patients were given the diaries for self-control of blood pressure at home as well as specialized literature with lifestyle changes recommendations.

Participants showed great interest in the problem of overweight and obesity. Many people are aware of the problem of overweight and physical inactivity, but often do not fully understand how to deal with these major risk factors effectively. The campaign gave an opportunity for everyone to ask any question, to get qualified answers to them, and to learn how to calculate body mass index and to measure waist circumference for further weight control.

For visitors, who came on this day to the “City Center for medical prevention”, free guided tours in the Museum of Hygiene were conducted every half of an hour. The event was opened with keep-fit exercises carried out by the instructors from the public movement "Life Energy". Medical College Students in the costumes representing the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (obesity, smoking, alcohol, stress, lack of exercises), demonstrated how to deal with risk factors - they performed physical exercises in time with the music. Students also distributed the informational literature on the healthy lifestyle and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Anyone was welcomed to learn more about such popular method of physical activity as the Nordic walking and even to take part in the "March of health" for the distance of 1300 meters with professional instructors on the Nordic walking.

In today's world, stress is also a serious risk factor for hypertension. The organizers of the campaign demonstrated how to effectively deal with this factor - classical music is able to remove emotional stress. The St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra "Classics" directed by A.Kantorov appeared in the big hall of the City Centre for medical prevention. The orchestra performed popular works of Tchaikovsky and Strauss. The audience received a portion of positive emotions and good mood.

In conclusion of the event Dr Oxana Rotar presented a lecture on "The risk factors for cardiovascular diseases - how to control and treat them". In her speech, the most frequently asked questions were answered: What are the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases? How can drug and non-drug methods affect the risks? What kind of complications can occur if the risk factors exist? Why is it important to control high cholesterol and blood sugar and how to treat them?

Lecture summed up a fruitful day dedicated to the prevention of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.