Northern Ireland Chest, Heart & Stroke roadshow to bring blood pressure and atrial fibrillation checks to Cookstown

Following their recent blood pressure awareness campaign and during Global Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Week, Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) will be visiting Cookstown Leisure Centre on Thursday, November 24 from 10am to 5pm to bring a health and wellbeing roadshow to the local community.

On the day, the charity will be offering free, pop-in blood pressure and atrial fibrillation checks.

Nadia Duncan, events and marketing manager at NICHS says; “One in two heart attacks and strokes are linked to undetected high blood pressure. There is a significant proportion of people in Northern Ireland, around one in every eight, who have high blood pressure and do not realise it We are delighted to be bringing our roadshow to Cookstown and to be able to give the Mid Ulster community an opportunity to access free, convenient blood pressure checks. The check is simple and only takes a few minutes, but it really could help save your life.

"The roadshow is taking place during Global Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Week ( November 22 – 27 ) so we will also be offering atrial fibrillation (AF) tests. AF is a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate. If untreated, AF can increase stroke risk by up to five times. The AF test is a simple, 30-second finger touch test and we are very glad to have this chance to bring AF testing to the local community.”

There will be lots of other events and activities on offer at the event as Nadia explained: “Everyone is welcome to come along next week to find out more about the vital life-changing work Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke carries out within the Mid Ulster area and enjoy lots of free health and wellbeing activities. There will be mini yoga, relaxation and stress relieving techniques sessions, nutrition advice from the dietetic team from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, defibrillator demos and Live Heart to Heart interviews with NICHS service users and supporters about the impact our charity has had on local lives.

"Christmas is also just around the corner so there will of course be some festive fun and cheer including seasonal refreshments as well as performances from the pupils of Holy Trinity College, Cookstown. Our Christmas Cracker Challenge also means one lucky guest will win a family ticket to the most magical event of the year worth £120, Project Santa, courtesy of Specialist Group, Maghera.

"The roadshow runs from 10am to 5pm on Thursday, November 24 and we hope to see many people from the Mid Ulster area drop in, get a health check, enjoy the activities on offer, meet our team and learn more about the work we do supporting the local community.”

For further information about the roadshow, visit www.nichs.org.uk/Roadshow

NICHS’s vision is a Northern Ireland free from chest, heart, and stroke illnesses. Established in 1946, the charity works with people of all ages across the country, delivering vital care and prevention services, supporting ground-breaking research and campaigning for change. Today, over 335,000 people in Northern Ireland are living with a chest, heart or stroke condition.