INDIANAPOLIS — Every Thursday, All in the Wrists Barbershop offers more than just a fresh cut.
IU Health community workers travel to the barbershop, located off W. 22nd St., to provide free blood pressure screenings and testing.
The goal is to meet people where they are and reduce cardiovascular disease and complications.
Clinicians say hypertension, or high blood pressure, is referred to as a silent killer because it often goes undetected.
"We have a stigma in the Black community that most Black men don't go to hospital unless we are in severe pain,” Barber Marvin Taylor said. “We want to get people aware of the numbers, what’s going on and rebuild trust with the medical community.”
Kristina Hargrove tests patients.
"You can be talking to me as normal and have no symptoms of hypertension, like a headache or blurred vision, and walk out and slump over," Hargrove said.
Kith Price walked in with a smile, feeling great but his testing showed otherwise.
"In terms of your blood pressure, you are in the crisis area. Your blood pressure is telling me it's extremely high, but you aren't showing any signs or symptoms. So, you would've never known had you not come and got checked today," a clinician told Price.
So, what causes hypertension?
"It's many different factors. Transportation, fear, lack of healthy eating, lack of knowledge," Hargrove said.
Price is thankful for free programs like this. He's encouraged to pay better attention to his health and hopes more people in the community take advantage of it.
"I'm gonna have to take care, do an evaluation and better myself in my health area," Price said.
Another barbershop, Master's Touch, also provides free screenings two Saturday's a month.
The three targeted areas for this barbershop heart initiative include Martindale-Brightwood, the United northwest area and near southeast side.
