The decisions you make today affect your vascular health in the future.
That was the message to students participating Wednesday in “V-Healthy Day” at Cohoes High School. As part of the event, sponsored by the Center for Vascular Awareness, local health professionals gave a brief presentation on vascular health, then students rotated through education stations.
“Vascular disease starts when you’re young and then you see the effects when you’re older,” said Anita Suchdeve, a registered nurse with Community Care Physicians. “They know a lot of the information, what’s good and what’s bad for them, but the photos and demonstrations definitely help reinforce that.”
The hands-on stations focused on blood pressure monitoring, diagnosis and treatment.
“We study body systems, so this ties in really well with our curriculum,” said science teacher Amanda Powers.
She noted that it was a nice change of pace for the students attending the demonstration, which was limited to Living Environment, Anatomy, and AP Biology classes.
“We want them to get information beyond what’s on the test at the end of the year,” Powers said. “These are lessons that can impact their lives for years to come.”
In total, 19 high schools and nearly 5,000 students participated in V-Healthy Day, learning about the effects hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, and genetics on their vascular health.
More photos can be seen on our public Facebook post.