TORONTO — Loblaw Cos. is providing heart health screenings free at participating stores across Canada in collaboration with the Becel Centre for Heart Health.
The food and drug retailer said Monday that the 20-minute heart health checkups, administered by Loblaw pharmacists, will give customers with a personalized picture of key cardiovascular disease risk factors. The health assessment involves answering a few simple lifestyle and family history questions, a blood pressure test and a cholesterol test.
Consumers can get a Healthy Heart Check on March 23 from noon to 8:00 p.m., or any time by appointment, at participating pharmacies at Loblaws, Zehrs, Extra Foods, Atlantic Superstore, Real Canadian Superstore and Your Independent Grocer locations. The heart screenings also will be available at Dominion stores in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In addition, 150 registered dietitians at select locations will provide information about food choices that are healthy for the heart, Loblaw said.
"Ninety percent of Canadians have at least one major cardiovascular risk factor, and talking to our pharmacists could be an important first step in taking action to modify your risk factors for heart disease and stroke — one of the leading causes of death in Canada," Bobbi Reinholdt, senior vice president of pharmacy for Loblaw Cos., said in a statement. "Our pharmacists have completed approximately 34,000 cardiovascular risk assessments to date. Partnering with Becel on the Healthy Heart Check program further demonstrates our commitment to help Canadians live healthier lives."
In line with its health and wellness message, Loblaw has launched its Helping You Live Life Well event in stores nationwide. With 100 new healthier items in the latest President’s Choice Insiders Report and a spotlight on Healthy Heart checkups in select stores to an ongoing focus on fresh food offerings, the initiative aims to encourage Canadians to live healthier lives.
"Reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke can start with knowing your risk factors, including your cholesterol number and blood pressure," stated Anne Walsh, director of everyday nourishment at Unilever, the maker of Becel margarine. "Providing consumers information about their own heart health in the grocery store, where Canadians make dietary choices, is an example of the commitment of the Becel team to giving Canadians tools to better understand their risk factors for heart disease and stroke."
