Submitted by: Erika Cervantes-Aarons, Marketing and Communication Director, American Heart Association San Diego

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. To reach our vision to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere, the Heart Association focuses on the key areas of access to care, quality care, health factor control and CPR training. One of the main focal points in San Diego is blood pressure control. Almost 24% of adults who live in the San Diego region have high blood pressure and 67.6% of adults with hypertension take blood pressure medication.  

To help our community know their blood pressure numbers, the Association launched the Libraries with Heart Program within the San Diego City Library system. Patrons of the Mission Valley, San Ysidro and Mira Mesa library branches can check out self-measuring blood pressure kits. Each blood pressure monitoring kit includes a clinically validated blood pressure device and cuff, educational handouts in the county’s threshold languages, blood pressure tracking sheets, and referrals to community resources. Since the program’s launch a few months ago, the self-measuring blood pressure kits have been checked out almost 40 times. 

The initiative aims to improve access to vital resources and reduce barriers to care. Many people are unaware of the conditions of high blood pressure. Left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, kidney disease or failure, stroke or other health threats. Despite these risks, hypertension awareness and control rates remain alarmingly low, particularly among Black, Hispanic and Indigenous communities, where health disparities contribute to worse outcomes.  

Here are some of the community responses to the Libraries with Heart Program: 

You can learn more about the San Diego division of the American Heart Association and access heart health resources at Southern California | American Heart Association.