New Program to Lower Your Blood Pressure Launches at Harlem Center

Knowing how to treat high blood pressure is key to managing it. Ryan Health | Adair has launched a new program focusing on awareness and healthy eating to help those with high blood pressure better manage it. High blood pressure can cause heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

The American Heart Association reported last year that about 55 percent of Black adults have high blood pressure. The reasons include genetics, the food you eat, the amount of exercise you take, and other factors.

Ryan Health’s new program is open to all patients from Ryan Health | Adair and Ryan Health | Frederick Douglass. These weekly classes are interactive. There are speakers on various topics and a blood pressure check to monitor developments. There’s also an initial survey regarding the amount of fresh produce participants eat weekly or monthly. To promote healthy eating, attendees receive a bag of fresh produce from Common Pantry. Nutritional foods like fruits and vegetables have a significant impact on whether someone will develop cardiovascular disease.

“This is a great program to educate people on managing high blood pressure and taking in some dietary knowledge and skills,” says Renee Lindo, Director of Health Center Operations at Ryan Health | Adair, Frederick Douglass, and Wadsworth. “Our goal is to be sure our patients with high blood pressure have it under control.”

Each week, speakers discuss topics like: How do I get active? How do I begin meal prepping and planning? What barriers do people face in trying to control high blood pressure? How do I cook in a healthier way? Which spices should I use instead of salt to give meals flavor?

The classes are held every Thursday at 1:00 pm at Ryan Health | Adair and last about an hour. We understand that life can be busy. There’s no commitment from participants — you can come to one class or all classes. The classes began in February and will run through the first week of June. Ryan Health sends texts for patients to schedule their participation.

Like other health screening programs Ryan Health conducts—mammograms and screenings for cervical or colorectal cancer—this high blood pressure screening program intends to give patients the information they need to improve their health.

To enroll in the classes if you are a Ryan Health | Adair or Ryan Health | Frederick Douglass patient, respond Yes to the text you will receive from Ryan Health, or call 212-749-1820.