Wallace Thomson Hospital is helping the community make a commitment to health by hosting Heart Day from 7-10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14, in the hospital's main lobby.

The annual event will feature health tests and educational information on heart disease. Free blood pressure checks will be offered. The hospital will also perform cholesterol tests for $10 and chemistry panel tests for $15. These simple blood tests can save your life by alerting you and your physician to potential risks that may make you a candidate for heart disease. The tests will check your total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, kidney and liver function and much more.

This year, 1.2 million Americans will suffer from heart attacks, and 452,000 of them will die before receiving emergency treatment. However, 15.8 million people who suffer from chest pain, heart attacks, and other forms of coronary heart disease are living, thanks to early detection of these conditions. By taking steps to know your cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as learning the signs of heart attack and stroke, heart disease can be prevented or detected in its earliest stages.

A physician referral is not required for participation in Wallace Thomson Hospital's Heart Day event, and you do not have to pre-register. To help with accuracy of the tests, please do not eat or drink anything after midnight prior to testing.

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For more information, call the Wallace Thomson Hospital outpatient education department at 466-0281.