Depending on where you live, you can check out your blood pressure along with that new novel you want to read. The Kewaunee Public Library, the Algoma Public Library, and all eight Door County Library branches have partnered with the American Heart Association to become “Libraries with Heart” thanks to a rural health grant. Thanks to the grant, the 10 libraries will have a Community Health Heart Hub blood pressure monitoring station installed in their facility. The Fish Creek and Sturgeon Bay branches will also have kits to check out. American Heart Association HeartCorps member Sue Koeppe says high blood pressure is one of the leading risk factors for heart attacks and strokes. With 50 percent of American adults unaware that they have high blood pressure, Koeppe hopes the new monitoring stations can help improve outcomes, especially for rural residents, who are sometimes an hour away from the nearest hospital.

If you have high blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, managing your stress, increasing your physical activity, and eating better are all ways to improve it. Koeppe says that while it will not be until mid-July that the stations are available in Door County, you can already check your blood pressure at the libraries in Kewaunee and Algoma.