BALTIMORE — A community screening for heart and kidney-related diseases was held Saturday at Liberty Grace Church of God in Baltimore.
Local residents took advantage of its resources.
Liberty Grace Church of God partnered with Care Access to host a heart and kidney health screening.
“A lot of people would ask for something like this instead of going to the doctor's office,” said Brenda Fleming, a Baltimore resident. She says, “It's fast, it's friendly, it's convenient. It's easy. It's easy.”
This screening is designed to raise awareness and provide testing for specific health risk factors.
“Then it's best to get there early,” Fleming says. “It's easier to fix the problem once it's diagnosed than to have a heart attack and wait until the last minute until it's too late.”
Screening tests for factors such as a dangerous type of cholesterol known as Lp(a).
“Elevated Lpa increases the risk of heart disease and stroke,” says Glenn Schatz, Care Access Vice President for Community Engagement.
In Black and South Asian communities, LPA puts 1 in 5 people at increased risk.
“The challenge with LPA, and why it hasn't been tested until now, is that it's hereditary and there's no treatment,” Schatz said. “We are looking for treatments for the future.”
Liberty Grace Church of God has always been an important resource for our community.
“We've grown to do more than just worship on Sundays,” said church member Teris King II. “How can we actually utilize this space for the people who really need it?”
The church plans to continue holding such events in the future.
If you miss Saturday's screening, you can schedule a visit to Care Access' main location in East Baltimore.
