(Salt Lake City, UT) – ‘Take the stairs’ and ‘reduce sodium’ are two of the messages in new radio ads encouraging Utahns to make small changes to control or maintain blood pressure. The ads are airing on radio stations along the Wasatch Front. Print ads with the same message are running in newspapers in Tooele, Moab, and Price.
The ads are part of the second phase of a new blood pressure awareness campaign by the Utah Department of Health’s (UDOH) Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Program (HDSPP). Nicole Bissonette, HDSPP manager, says, “The aim of these ads is to show that changes to control blood pressure don’t need to be big.”
“Focusing on lifestyle changes was a natural lead in this campaign,” adds Bissonette. “Our focus last year was on encouraging Utahns to visit a health care provider and learn their blood pressure numbers. Now, we want people to know that small changes can make a big difference in lowering your risk for heart attack and stroke.”
Other materials for this phase of the campaign will soon be available for download on the HDSPP website and include posters, bookmarks, and a brochure with blood pressure information.
Blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, both of which are leading causes of death in Utah. Seventy-percent of the sodium a person consumes comes from packaged and restaurant foods. To hear the ads and see last year’s campaign materials, visit http://www.hearthighway.org/bp_campaign.html.
Media Contact:
Tania J. Charette, MPH, CHES
Media Coordinator
(801) 538-6423
