Check your heart health for free with new monitoring station at Aylesbury Library

Bucks Council has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the risks of high blood pressure and encourage residents to get into the habit of checking their heart health regularly, in line with the global blood pressure awareness campaign, May Measure Month.

To pilot the campaign, health stations have been newly installed in Aylesbury Library and High Wycombe Library. The health stations are free to use and offer people the chance to check their heart health - giving results for Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure, heart rate, body composition, perceived stress and alcohol.

Councillors Angela Macpherson, Zahir Mohammed and Clive Harriss tried out the new health station at Aylesbury Library.

Angela Macpherson, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “It’s great to see the new health stations in place – and great to be one of the first to trial them in Buckinghamshire.

"With simple and clear-to-follow instructions, it’s really easy to check your heart health. The benefits of knowing what ‘normal’ results look like for you can help you make lifestyle changes to prevent against more serious illnesses in the future.

“We hope having the health stations available in libraries will provide residents with a familiar and friendly setting to check their heart health. The health stations have been built and positioned to provide privacy and there are informative booklets and flyers available to support anyone using them.

“Checking your blood pressure regularly is important for knowing how healthy your heart is. High blood pressure is one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Identifying this risk and taking action early can help prevent more serious issues arising.”

Portable blood pressure monitoring kits will also be available for library members to borrow from Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Micklefield Libraries, offering people the opportunity to measure their blood pressure in the comfort of their home.

Clive Harriss, cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: “Buckinghamshire’s council-owned and community libraries are great examples of popular and inclusive venues for our communities.“Positioning health stations and portable blood pressure monitors in local libraries ensures they are accessible to people of all ages throughout the county”

More information can be found on the Bucks Council website