Alexian Brothers Neurosciences Institute

Don Shula and the “BP COACH Approach” team up with Alexian Brothers for a day of blood pressure screening

(Elk Grove Village, IL) – Football Hall of Famer Don Shula knows that when it comes to managing high blood pressure, the best defense is a strong offense.

As a national spokesperson for the BP COACH Approach™, a national campaign to raise awareness about the importance of managing high blood pressure around the clock, Coach Don Shula hosted a free blood pressure screening at Alexian Brothers Medical Center on October 18, 2007. Coach Shula spoke about the impact that hypertension has had on his life as well as the steps he has taken to control his own high blood pressure. Dr. Phil Gorelick, Medical Director, Alexian Brothers Hospital Network Stroke Center and Chairman of the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, co-hosted the event and answered participants’ questions.

According to the American Heart Association, over 72 million Americans – or nearly 1 in 3 adults – suffer from high blood pressure, also called hypertension. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the most modifiable risk factor for stroke. Anyone can get high blood pressure, but factors that could increase one’s risk include smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, and being overweight. There are no reliable warning signs – the only way to know if someone has high blood pressure is to have it checked. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, and/or blindness. In fact, hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for stroke in this country.

Coach Don Shula is best known for his success coaching the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1995, a reign that is unmatched in NFL history. Coach Shula holds records for the most career wins (347), appearing in more Super Bowls than any other coach (6), and being the youngest coach to reach the 100, 200 and 300 victory marks. Coach Shula was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1997, following a unanimous election in his first year of eligibility. The BP COACH Approach ™ is a program designed to “Create Overall Awareness about Controlling Hypertension.” It is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.