Irish Heart Foundation will offer free blood pressure and pulse checks at the 2018 Ploughing Championships

Staff from the Irish Heart Foundation are washing their wellies in anticipation of the National Ploughing Championships 2018, which kick off tomorrow (Tuesday 18 September) in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly.

This year marks the Irish Heart Foundation’s tenth anniversary at the Ploughing Championship and every year its presence at the event goes from strength to strength. This year the Irish Heart Foundation is looking forward to providing free blood pressure and pulse checks as well as heart health information for all.

The Irish Heart Foundation will be on site in three different locations for the three days of the event (Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 September) with its newly launched Mobile Health Unit. On the unit Irish Heart Foundation nurses will be offering free blood pressure and pulse checks to all those in attendance.

Irish Heart Foundation nurses will also be in attendance to teach people how to check their own pulse, to help raise awareness of Atrial Fibrillation (AF).

AF is a treatable condition and a simple pulse check can help detect it reducing a person’s risk of stroke. The charity will also have a presence in the Health and Safety Authority marquee providing free blood pressure and pulse checks.

The Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) has a longstanding engagement in raising heart health awareness for farmers in marts, Glanbia sites through the Irish Farmers Association and the Ploughing Championships for many years.

The 2015 Irish Heart Foundation Farmers Have Hearts study, which offers free health checks to 1,000 farmers per year, found that almost half of farmers screened at marts around the country had high blood pressure, 46.1 per cent had raised cholesterol levels and the vast majority were overweight or obese.

The study also found that 80 per cent of farmers had four or more risk factors for heart disease and stroke which is of serious concern as 80 per cent of cardiovascular disease is preventable through lifestyle changes.

Commenting on the Irish Heart Foundation’s involvement in the National Ploughing Championship 2018, Marese Damery, Health Check Manager, Irish Heart Foundation said, “We are delighted to be attending the Ploughing Championship this year, we provided free blood pressure and pulse checks to more than 1,500 people last year and hope to do the same in 2018. High blood pressure, which is a major cause of stroke and heart attack, is one of the most prevalent risk factors in the population and one which once identified is very manageable, thereby reducing risk. A blood pressure check is a simple quick and non-invasive test that could prove life-saving. We would encourage people to come and have a free check.”

The National Ploughing Championships taking place from September 18 to 20th in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly is not to be missed. Last year it attracted 291,500 visitors and more than 1,700 stands.

The Irish Heart Foundation will have 12 nurses on site in 3 locations:
• Health and Safety Authority Marquee- Block 4, Row 14, Stand 299.
• Irish heart Foundation’s Atrial Fibrillation Marquee – Block No: 4,Row No: 36 Stand 699
• Irish Heart Foundations’ Mobile Health Unit- Block 4, Row 36, Stand 698

ENDS