Safeway promotes awareness of heart disease with free health screenings

PLEASANTON, Calif. Safeway on Wednesday announced the offering of free blood pressure, BMI and cholesterol level screenings at store pharmacies to promote heart health and prevent the number one killer of women: heart disease.

As part of the company’s “Love Your Heart” campaign, a wellness program to draw attention to the importance of knowing the risk factors of heart disease, Safeway expects to conduct 36,000 free heart health screenings nationwide. The free screenings are available to women and men and will take place from Feb. 4 through Feb. 24 in Safeway pharmacies, including Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s and Carrs pharmacies. 

“Most women are unaware that heart disease claims more women’s lives than any other disease or illness,” stated Dave Fong, SVP of pharmacy at Safeway. “Only 8 % of women consider it the biggest threat to their health. … Our goal is to educate women about the risk factors and help them take control of their health.” 

The screenings, a $40 value, are sponsored by Safeway, Campbell Soup Company, Kellogg’s, Healthy Choice, Diet Coke, Fresh Express, StarKist, Barilla PLUS, and Health Magazine. Screenings will be conducted by nurses or pharmacists at store pharmacies. 

Safeway is also offering savings on special heart healthy products throughout the store. Customers can easily locate these products at the “Love Your Heart” displays in all stores. Heart health informational brochures, containing special product offers, will also be found in specially marked displays. 

Safeway’s “Love Your Heart” campaign is part of the company’s ongoing health and wellness initiative to provide customers with affordable and convenient ways to take control of their health. For example, Safeway pharmacies administer a variety of flu and other vaccinations, where law permits. Safeway is a partner with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute on The Heart Truth campaign, which introduced the popular Red Dress logo as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002.