WELD – Free blood pressure checks will continue to be available in Weld from 6 to 7 p.m. on the third Monday of every month at the Town Office.

In Carthage, the day and time have changed to the first Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Town Office.

Volunteers from each town have been trained to do blood pressures by registered nurse Sandy Richard, the coordinator of the Healthy Community Coalition’s mobile health unit.

Based on new stricter guidelines released by the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, there is a new category called pre-hypertension, when a person’s systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139 and their diastolic blood pressure is between 80 and 90. The committee is recommending that people with a blood pressure in one or both of these ranges should consider lifestyle changes to reduce their blood pressure. The volunteers will have information on basic lifestyle guidelines that can help reduce blood pressure.

This service started as a result of a survey more than a year ago, which asked residents to list their top needs to promote good health. In both towns, regular blood pressure checks in the community was listed second, after flu shots.

For more information, people may phone Eileen Liddy at the Healthy Community Coalition at 645-3136 or 1-800-525-3136, ext. 5113.

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