BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam’s Club next week is offering free women’s health checkups in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Sam’s Club next week is offering free women’s health checkups in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The Walmart warehouse club subsidiary said Tuesday that on Oct. 8 all of its pharmacy locations, which number more than 500, will hold free thyroid health tests for members and nonmembers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The free screenings will include a TSH test for thyroid disorders plus blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) tests, typically valued up to $150 per person. During the screenings, Sam’s Club pharmacies will also offer free samples of women’s health-related products and awareness information.
According to Sam’s Club, few women are aware that thyroid disease can be a symptom of other health issues and lead to serious conditions, such including cancer and infertility. The chain reported that thyroid disease affects millions of Americans, primarily women, and it causes the body to use energy more slowly or quickly than it should, causing weight loss or gain, hot or cold flashes, or drastic changes in energy level.
Many people who have thyroid problems don’t know until they’re tested, the retailer noted.
"The estimated number of people with undiagnosed thyroid disease may be 10%. For women, the risk is even higher. A woman faces as high as a one in five chance of developing thyroid problems during her lifetime, and that risk increases with age and for those with a family history of thyroid problems," Jill Turner-Mitchael, senior vice president of health and wellness at Sam’s Club, said in a statement. "Our free thyroid screenings are a quick and easy way for women to make sure their bodies are functioning and will continue to function in a healthy way."
Sam’s Club said that this year it has provided more than 250,000 free screenings in its U.S. location. On Nov. 12, the wholesale club chain plans to offer free take-home colon screenings.
