'How's Thi Ticker?' campaign helping make blood pressure checks more accessible

To date, the team has delivered more than 1,550 blood pressure checks for local residents. Some 62% of individuals checked did not have a previous diagnosis of high blood pressure.

Of those checked at the recent sessions, some 32% of participants were referred to their local pharmacy and just under 6% were advised to contact their GP as they were at risk of high blood pressure.

What does having high blood pressure mean?

Most people do not experience symptoms as a result of high blood pressure. However, if left undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to serious problems such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, sight problems and vascular dementia. Often the condition runs in families - so it is worth checking with relatives if anyone has ever been diagnosed.

If you do have high blood pressure, there are some simple things you can do that will often bring your numbers down, including cutting down on alcohol, stopping smoking, being more active and eating a healthy diet that is low in salt.

The NHS is currently recommending that anyone over the age of 40 gets their blood pressure checked on a regular basis.

Posted on Dec 14, 2022.