Portlanders are turning health-conscious thanks to a new program targeting the dangers of high blood pressure

On a cloudy Tuesday in December, Michael Hale stood before a group of students at the Portland Opportunities Industrial Center campus in the Lents neighborhood.

“Has anyone in this room seen this device?” he asked pointing to the classroom tables with small devices that can play blood pressure.

Hale, a 57-year-old “healthy ship” at the vocational training center, explained the health consequences of stress – which include an increased risk of stroke and heart disease – and then invite students to try out the machines themselves.

“Do you see what he did? His jacket is back on his arm,” Hale said, pointing to a student who had a portable device cuff on his arm.

About one in three Americans has high blood pressure, according to national health data — and the risk is even greater for people of color, who make up the majority of students that Portland Opportunities Industrial Center (POIC) serves. its five campuses.

Although 31.4% of white Americans have high blood pressure, it is 45.3% for Black Americans, data from the American Heart Association shows. Hispanic Americans suffer from the condition at roughly the same rate as white Americans, but are 8% less likely to be diagnosed with the condition and receive treatment for it.

That is why POIC, although a vocational training organization, prioritizes health classes.

“I’ve had students say, ‘Oh, this would be good for Mom,'” Hale said of the blood pressure screening classes. “So they can go home and say, ‘Hey, I learned something really important today about health and I thought of you.'”

The classes are part of a new program created in August through a partnership between POIC — which offers middle and high school education as well as job training — and the American Heart Association’s Oregon and Southwest Washington offices.

The program has a mechanism to loan students, their families and POIC staff to take home blood pressure monitors provided by the heart organization.

“High blood pressure disproportionately affects a minority of people, so that’s been a big conversation we’ve had with POIC,” said Meredith Collett, executive director of the American Heart Association’s Oregon and Washington office. he told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “We’re working to help the underserved get access to these resources.”

Collet also said that one of the factors that influence the rate of blood pressure in poor people is the lack of access to healthy food and health care.

Knowledge makes a big difference, Hale pointed out. Not surprisingly, people who are aware of their blood pressure and what it means are more likely to make healthier eating choices and exercise more.

Hale said: “Sometimes people don’t know what they don’t know. “People can use that information to improve and prioritize their lives.”

For Eva Vega, principal of students at one of POIC’s high school campuses, the readily available blood pressure monitors proved useful.

He said that when he was diagnosed with high blood pressure last year, his thoughts immediately changed to the worst: stroke, heart attack and other heart diseases.

But his doctor told him that the worst should not happen. He had time to control his blood pressure through diet, exercise and careful monitoring of his blood pressure numbers. In August, shortly after the new program was launched, he was able to borrow one of the blood pressure monitors for free.

“I didn’t expect that,” he said of being able to take the monitors home.

In the four months she’s been using the device, she’s been able to keep her blood pressure under control, giving her a fairly accurate picture of her values ​​as she works to lower them.

“I feel like I’m willing to exercise and exercise,” Vega said of his current routine. “I feel strong and I feel like I can take control of my life.”

– Tatum Todd is a current affairs reporter covering public safety, crime and public affairs. Reach them at ttodd@oregonian.com or 503-221-4313.