103.4 Hypertension, Heart Disease and Stroke

High blood pressure is common and quiet

• 48% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure
• 1 in 4 adults with high blood pressure have it under control
• 59.6% of Black adults have high blood pressure

Source: CDC High Blood Pressure Facts, 2026

Blood pressure categories for adults

Coaching a good home blood pressure check

Teach these steps so home numbers can be trusted:

• Use an upper-arm cuff: Use a validated upper-arm monitor with the right cuff size on a bare arm.
• Wait 30 minutes: No smoking, caffeine, alcohol, exercise or eating for 30 minutes before. Empty the bladder.
• Sit right and rest: Back supported, feet flat, legs uncrossed, arm on a table. Rest 5 minutes first.
• Stay quiet, take two: No talking or phone. Take at least two readings, 1 to 2 minutes apart.
• Write it down and share: Check at the same times each day. Log every reading and share the log with the care team.

Why pressure runs high in some neighborhoods

• What we see: Mr. Reggie Thomas in Fairfax, age 52, has readings over 150/95 and says he has no time to rest.
• Why it happens (upstream): Salty, cheap processed food nearby, long work shifts, daily stress from racism and unsafe streets, and years of disinvestment in his neighborhood.
• What we can build on (assets): Barbershop blood pressure checks, a church health ministry, a nearby rec center walking group, and pharmacists who can review his medicines.

Heart attack warning signs: call 911

CDC lists these major signs. Do not wait to see if they pass.

• Chest pain or pressure: Squeezing, fullness or pain in the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or comes back.
• Short of breath: Trouble breathing, with or before chest discomfort.
• Pain that spreads: Pain in one or both arms or shoulders, the jaw, neck or back.
• Other signs, often women: Weak, light-headed or faint with a cold sweat; unusual tiredness; nausea or vomiting.

Stroke: BE FAST

Signs come on suddenly. If you see any of them, call 911.

• Balance and Eyes: Sudden loss of balance or dizziness; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Face and Arm: One side of the face droops when smiling; one arm drifts down when both are raised.
• Speech: Slurred or strange speech, or trouble understanding others.
• Time: Call 911 now. Do not drive them. Note the time symptoms started.

Supporting medicines within our role

CHWs can

• Ask open questions about how the routine is going
• Help set up pill boxes or phone reminders
• Help with refills, pharmacy rides and costs
• Help write questions for the doctor or pharmacist
• Report side effects or missed doses to the team

CHWs do not

• Tell someone to stop, skip or change a dose
• Suggest a different medicine
• Give or hand out medication doses
• Judge or shame someone for missing pills

Situation: 186 over 122

Situation: At a Glenville church health fair, Ms. Loretta Hayes, 64, gets a reading of 186/122. You wait five minutes and recheck: 184/120. She says she feels fine and wants to go home and lie down.

What should the CHW do next?

• Ask about chest pain, shortness of breath, numbness, weakness, vision or speech changes
• If she has any of those symptoms, call 911
• If not, contact her provider today and tell the RN supervisor
• Stay calm, record the readings, and follow up with her tomorrow