A Convenient Way to Check Up on YOUR Health, No Appointments Necessary! Blood Pressure & AAA Screenings are always free.
Maryland’s premier nonprofit, mobile diagnostic unit, Southern Maryland Hospital Center’s Health Express, offers the Southern Maryland community an innovative approach to preventive care. Our van is staffed with health care professionals and provides screenings for [the following should link to the information below] blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA). Educational materials are available, as well as referrals for a variety of specialized areas. A nominal donation fee of $5 is charged for the cholesterol screening which includes: Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and Glucose. Fasting for Labs is suggested, but not necessary.
Southern Maryland Hospital Center is currently scheduling area locations for the coming months. If you would like the Health Express van to visit your site, to confirm the daily location of the Health Express van, or to be added or removed from our mailing list, please call (301) 877 5700.
Blood Pressure
According to recent estimates, one in four U.S. adults have high blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart or kidney failure. The best way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.
Cholesterol
What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy substance made and used by the body. It is also found in some of the foods that you eat. If there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it starts to collect and harden on the walls of your arteries, which blocks blood flow. High blood cholesterol is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S.
Why is cholesterol screening important? Cholesterol screening tells you if you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream. If you are aware that you have a high blood cholesterol level, you can take steps to reduce this level and, therefore, reduce your risk of heart disease. Cholesterol screening measures how many milligrams of cholesterol are present in a deciliter of your blood (mg/dl). A sample of your blood can be taken to measure your total cholesterol level. It may also be used to measure your HDL and LDL levels during our specials offered in February and September for a donation of $15.00. General guidelines for blood cholesterol levels are listed below:
Total blood cholesterol levels:
Desirable
below 200 mg/dL
Borderline High Risk
between 200 and 239 mg/dL
High Risk
240 or higher mg/dL
In general the lower your cholesterol levels are the better.
Triglyceride levels High triglyceride levels may also be associated with a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. This is especially true because people with high triglycerides often have other conditions, such as diabetes and obesity that increase the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease.
Normal Less than 150 mg/dL Borderline High 150-199 mg/dL High 200-499 mg/dL Very High 500 mg/dL or above
Glucose levels Glucose screening is a measure of the sugar in your blood. A high level of glucose may be indicative of diabetes. Early diagnosis and effective control of diabetes correlates with reduced side effects from the disease. However, a diagnosis of pre-diabetes does not mean that diabetes is inevitable. Modest lifestyle changes——including healthier diets and physical activity——can help people prevent the onset of diabetes.
Nationally, diabetes has increased nearly 50 percent in the past 10 years. CDC expects the incidence of the disease to grow another 165 percent by 2050 under current trends due to obesity, sedentary lifestyle and age.
Normal fasting glucose levels are less than 110 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) according to the American Diabetes Association
Who needs cholesterol screening? Cholesterol screening is recommended at least every 5 years for anyone over the age of 20. If you have a family history of very high cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure, smoking, inactive lifestyle, obesity, and diabetes), you are at increased risk for high cholesterol and its complications your doctor may ask you to be screened more often.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms is the 13th leading killer in the United States. Most insurance companies do not traditionally cover this screening. Southern Maryland Hospital Center realizes the importance of detecting this disorder in its early stage therefore we offer it to the community for free.
What is an aortic aneurysm? An aortic aneurysm is the dilatation (widening or bulge) of part of the aorta, usually at a weak spot in the aortic wall. The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It carries all the blood pumped out of the heart and distributes it, via its many branches, to all the organs of the body. The aorta projects upwards from the heart in the chest and then arches downwards, traveling through the chest (the thoracic aorta) and into the abdomen (the abdominal aorta). The normal diameter of the abdominal aorta is about one inch.
Who is at the greatest risk? Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms can affect anybody, but it is most often seen in men ages 40 to 70 years old.
What causes an aortic aneurysm and who is at risk? Most aortic aneurysms occur in the abdominal aorta, the main cause being degeneration leading to dilatation of the aortic wall. Other less common causes of an aortic aneurysm include:
• trauma to the aorta, for example a crush injury to the chest following a car accident, • inflammation of the wall of the aorta, • rare hereditary conditions such as Marfan’s syndrome (a major cause of a thoracic aortic aneurysm), • syphilis
What are the common symptoms and complications of an aortic aneurysm? Many people can have an aortic aneurysm for years before any symptoms develop. When they do become evident, symptoms vary according to the type and location of the aneurysm. Symptoms of an abdominal aortic aneurysm include:
• a pulsating feeling in the abdomen • abdominal pain • back pain
If an aortic aneurysm becomes very large, it can rupture (burst). This causes excruciating pain in the abdomen and back. There is severe internal bleeding which is often fatal. The symptoms of an aortic aneurysm often do not occur until the aneurysm begins to rupture.
How do doctors recognize aortic aneurysms? Most aortic aneurysms are usually found during routine physical examinations. On examination, your doctor may feel a pulsating mass in your abdomen, which may be tender. If you doctor suspects an aneurysm, he or she will probably request that an ultrasound be carried out. Other tests such as computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may also be performed: these are very useful for determining the exact nature of the aortic aneurysm.
What is the treatment for aortic aneurysms? The treatment of an aortic aneurysm depends on the size and location. A vascular surgeon will advise you on the best course of treatment. Abdominal aortic aneurysms can be treated with traditional surgery which involves an incision in the abdomen and replacement of the diseased aorta with a synthetic graft. In select patients, we are using a new, minimally invasive procedure that requires only two small incisions in the groin.
What can I do to prevent an aortic aneurysm?
There are several things you can do to reduce your chance of developing an aneurysm, however, there is no way to completely prevent an aneurysm from developing:
• Do not smoke • If you have a family history of arterial disease, have regular medical check ups
