Wegmans puts spotlight on blood pressure

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Wegmans Food Markets on Tuesday introduced new resources for patients concerned about blood pressure and how to best manage their numbers at the Wegmans pharmacy counter. Wegmans also is hosting a blood pressure page on Wegmans.com, where patients can watch seven short videos on ways toward good readings.

Wegmans’ nutrition and pharmacy teams developed the blood-pressure Web pages, videos and brochure based on guidelines and research from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the grocer stated.

“Knowledge is power,” said Brian Pompo, coordinator of wellness and clinical services for pharmacy. “If we can prevent the progression toward high blood pressure by making it easier for people to see how to help themselves, and by providing easy and great-tasting meal ideas, that’s just the right thing to do.”

“A healthy lifestyle is the first critical step in preventing or treating elevated blood pressure,” added Wegmans nutritionist Jennifer Felice. “For those in the earliest stage, called prehypertension, it could be all that’s needed. For those with higher blood pressure already, a healthy lifestyle can mean better control with fewer medications.”

The brochure and corresponding videos on Wegmans.com cover blood pressure basics, guidance on salt, sodium and potassium, and how much lifestyle changes can impact blood pressure numbers.

“Elevated blood pressure is something people need to manage, because if it’s uncontrolled, it raises the risk of a life-ending event, such as a heart attack or stroke,” Felice said.

Click here to view Wegman's Web page about blood pressure.