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Show High blood pressure, the "silent killer" Most people with high blood pressure experience no symptoms at all - which is why experts often refer to it as the 'silent killer'. There are no specific warning signs. However, persistent headaches, dizziness, tension, ten-sion, fatigue and shortness of breath many times go with hypertension, these symptons are also common in many people and result from a variety of causes. The only way to find out whether you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked. The Medicine Shoppe, a prescription-oriented pharmacy located at 97 West Center Street in Cedar City, is offering to the public a free blood pressure screening on Friday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Representatives from the American Red Cross will unite with the pharmacy in an effort to create community com-munity awareness and help detect high blood pressure among local citizens. More than 23 million Americans are affected by high blood pressure and its related diseases. Half of those affected are not even aware of it. Persons who know they have high blood pressure are able to maintain adequate control. The results of undetected high blood pressure are heart failure, the brain is affected with a stroke and kidney failure. However, the disease can affect the entire bodand its arterial system. "Fortunately, with early detection and prompt treatment, we hope to reduce the 15 percent to 20 percent of the adult American population who have the disease," pharmacist phar-macist Bob Hansen explains. ex-plains. "High blood pressure has contributed to more than 250,000 deaths and many of the more than 1,500,000 heart attacks and strokes that occur each year," the pharmacist continues. The check for high blood pressure is simple and painless and takes seconds. All individuals with an elevated reading will be encouraged to visit their family physician. This screening is one of several free health services Medicine Shoppe offers regularly. Others include screening for diabetes, oral cancer, colon-rectal cancer, hearing loss, foot problems, glaucoma, carbon-monoxide, carbon-monoxide, and a screening for skin cancer. The prescription-oriented pharmacy is part of a chain of some 300 Medicine Shoppes throughout the country. Unlike conventional con-ventional drug stores which carry a great deal of nonprescription non-prescription merchandise, more than 90 percent of Medicine Shoppe's business is prescriptions. |