Do you have High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is called “the silent killer” because it does just that. With no signs or symptoms that you can see or feel, a lot of people don’t even know they have high blood pressure. This can be scary because high blood pressure is linked to a lot of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood sugar and stroke. But there is good news – high blood pressure can be controlled with diet and exercise. The Healthy Heart Ambassador Program (HHA) can help people do just that.

HHA is a four-month program for adults who have been told they have high blood pressure and want to learn how to control it. After signing up for HHA, you will talk to your HHA coach who will teach you the right way to take your blood pressure. Once you are in HHA, your coach will check in with you every week to see how you are doing, and you will come to a healthy eating class once per month. You will also come to office hours two times per month where your coach will be able to take your blood pressure and make sure you are taking it the right way as well. Your coach is there to guide and support you as you learn to manage your blood pressure.

We know that HHA works for people, and that is why we are bringing it to more parts of the state. So far, we have an HHA program in Hartford City and are working on even more areas. Our goal is to partner with more clinics, health programs and towns so that we can help even more people. If you would like to see the HHA Program in your town or would like more information about existing programs that might be in your area, please contact Aliya Amin at ajamin@iu.edu. We want all Hoosiers to have the tools they need to take care of their health and live long, healthy lives!