The Irish Heart Foundation’s Mobile Health Unit will be in West Waterford next week as part of its drive to offer free heart health checks to farmers throughout Ireland.
Next Monday, 5 October, the MHU will be parked at Dungarvan Mart (10.00 am – 5.00 pm) as part of the national stroke and heart charity’s ‘Farmers Have Hearts’ programme.
Farmers have the chance to have their blood pressure and pulse checked in a bid to promote heart health and early detection of hypertension (high blood pressure), a leading cause of cardiovascular disease.
The Irish Heart Foundation is also encouraging them to follow up on these tests by agreeing to take a phone call from the IHF nurse support line to discuss their results.
The ‘Farmers Have Hearts’ programme is supported through the Department of Agriculture’s Farm Safety, Health and Wellbeing funding, delivering free cardiovascular health checks and follow-up support to help farmers identify and reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.
The 30-minute check includes a cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, pulse, weight and height assessment.
The exclusive checks for farmers and those in the agricultural sector began in 2007 as a local pilot programme and was further developed in 2013.
Every year, the Mobile Health Unit offers up to 10,000 free blood pressure checks to the general public, helping to identify individuals who may be unaware of their hypertension.
Expert nurses provide lifestyle advice and information on maintaining heart health during the checks, which can help detect atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can lead to serious health issues.
