Mayor Issues Million Resident Challenge To Educate Central Florida About Bloo...( Entire Region Won't S...),Health

Entire Region Won't Succumb to the Pressure

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Statistics show that 90% of us will have High Blood Pressure in our lifetime, but that data doesn't sit well with the people of Central Florida -- they're primed to fight the silent killer. Today, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was joined by dozens of community and business leaders to announce a first of its kind health initiative to promote healthier outcomes for Central Floridians and issue a challenge for at least 1 million area residents to get their blood pressure checked through -- Project Pressure. Organizers hope the Project will not only raise awareness of the dangers of hypertension in their region, but also motivate cities and communities nationwide to step up their blood pressure education efforts.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080903/CLW042 )

Recent surveys demonstrate the importance of growing awareness of high blood pressure throughout the region:

-- During the first 6 months of 2008, Centra Care Urgent Care measured the

Blood Pressures of nearly 50,000 adult patients. 71% had Hypertension

or Pre-Hypertension(1)

-- 80% of respondents in an independent survey did not know that normal

blood pressure is below 120/80(2)

"Our data shows that Central Florida has a Blood Pressure problem," said Scott Brady, MD, president/senior medical director of Centra Care Urgent Care, who serves as Medical Advisor to the Project Pressure campaign. "Elevated blood pressure is damaging arteries every day -- putting people at increased risk for Stroke, Heart Attack, Aneurysm or some other medical catastrophe. It is a dangerous health condition, but it can be easily managed."

As one of the most extensive community programs of its kind -- involving cities, counties, corporations and the medical community -
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