AS we get ready to mark national ‘Know your Numbers Week’ (2 to 8 September), the NHS in Hertfordshire and west Essex is urging people over 40 to come forward for a potentially life-saving blood pressure check.
Around one in four adults in the UK have high blood pressure, but only half of those are aware of it – and ‘taking a sec to check’ could prevent serious illness developing.
High blood pressure (hypertension) doesn’t usually have any obvious symptoms, making it an invisible threat to many. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and vascular dementia. Having your blood pressure checked regularly is a simple way to reduce your risk of developing these conditions.
More than 200 pharmacies across Hertfordshire and west Essex are offering free blood pressure checks for anyone over 40 who hasn’t had their blood pressure taken in the past six months. In May, a new campaign was launched in our area to raise awareness about the hidden dangers of high blood pressure which included posters being displayed across Hertfordshire and west Essex as well as information in local magazines and newsletters, on town centre display screens, buses and bus shelters and online.
People who are Black or South Asian are more likely to be at risk from high blood pressure, so if this applies to you or your family members, please do come forward for a quick, free and painless check.
Maureen Steed, a keen runner in her 70s from Hatfield in Hertfordshire, discovered she had high blood pressure after seeking advice about her cholesterol levels. Maureen said:
“It had never occurred to me to get checked because I was running distances on a regular basis and just did not feel I was in any way unwell, but I am so glad they managed to get me on to the right medication and I would urge others to get checked when they can.”
Sara Kent’s high blood pressure diagnosis, following a spur of the moment blood pressure check, led to an otherwise undetected serious health condition being diagnosed and successfully treated. Sara, from Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire, said:
“I wasn’t sure what had contributed to my high blood pressure and I didn’t think it was my lifestyle and my blood pressure continued to be a problem and was not really going down.The doctors thought maybe my kidneys were causing the problem so they did a scan and found a tumour on one of my kidneys.”
