Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Grey Bruce Health Unit
REACH a New Personal Goal in February
As part of February Heart Health month, the Grey Bruce Health Unit and the Heart and Stroke Foundation are offering a chance to take care of your heart health and to feel better about your quality of life. The REACH Trial (Reducing risk with E-based support for Adherence to lifestyle Change in Hypertension) is seeking participants to take part in an innovative internet-based program to assist individuals to manage their blood pressure.
High blood pressure affects one-in-five Grey Bruce residents. It is the number one risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart disease.
If you have been told by your doctor that you have high blood pressure, you may qualify for this new study. Even if you aren’t sure whether you have high blood pressure, check your profile for lifestyle and risk factors for heart disease at the Heart and Stroke selfassessment tool at www.heartandstroke.ca.
In addition to being offered in the Owen Sound area, the REACH program is expanding to Walkerton and in Markdale. This is the second year of the study.
“Results from this research have been very encouraging.” says Dr. Hazel Lynn, Grey Bruce Medical Officer of Health. “Our team found that e-counseling helped to increase motivation to follow a heart healthy life-style and at the same time decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels over a four-month period.”
“Now we’re offering a new-and-improved program of e-based support over one year”, says Dr. Rob Nolan, lead scientist at the University Health Network, in Toronto. “Our goal is to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, while helping to improve overall wellbeing through change in exercise, diet and smoking.”
REACH is available to those with high blood pressure. It’s free of charge and does not require participants to change their medical treatment for high blood pressure. To take part, participants are required to do a pre-screen by visiting www.heartandstroke.ca or call 416-340-4800 ext 6400 prior to getting an appointment.
Media Contact:
Denna Leach
Manager
Grey Bruce Health Unit
519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456 ext 1462
D.Leach@publichealthgreybruce.on.ca
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