11:00am Sunday 5th July 2009
RESIDENTS are being offered free heart checks to encourage those most at risk to take action.
NHS Lewisham and the Blood Pressure Association charity will be giving residents, aged 40 to 74, heart screening in vans parked at Lewisham town centre market, on July 8 and 10 from 9am to 5pm.
Nurses will take height, waist and weight measurements to calculate how healthy a person's weight is.
They will also take a blood pressure measurement, check cholesterol levels, and carry out a simple test for diabetes.
Alfred Banya, head of NHS Lewisham’s health Improvement team, said: “Vascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes account for 35 per cent of all deaths in Lewisham.
“But now it couldn’t be easier for local people to have a free and potentially life-saving health check.
“It’s a first important step towards good heart health.”
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