High blood pressure and keeping it in check!

September 05 2021   |   News

Do you know what your blood pressure reading should be? If not, it would be a good idea to find out because an estimated six million people in the UK have high blood pressure and don’t know it!

At Summerfield Healthcare, we are only too aware of a rise in hypertension cases over the last 18 months as regular blood pressure testing became generally unavailable due to COVID.

All of which makes Blood Pressure UK’s annual Know Your Numbers! Week even more important than usual. The week runs from September 6th to the 12th and is aimed at lowering high blood pressure by encouraging all UK adults to get a check.

Numbers to be aware of

Your ideal blood pressure reading should be under 120/80mmHg but we are seeing an increase in the number of patients with levels above this when they attend their comprehensive health check with us.

There is no doubt that this is due in part to fewer GP visits during the pandemic resulting in fewer blood pressure tests being carried out, but high blood pressure is a serious concern and can put a strain on the arteries and organs which can increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Unfortunately, 350 people each day in the UK will have a stroke or a heart attack which could be prevented through regular monitoring which enables any changes to be recognised and acted upon.

We recommend that all adults over 40 have their blood pressure tested annually so any potential problems can be detected and dealt with as early as possible. This testing is carried out as part of your regular Summerfield Healthcare health check – providing you with the peace of mind and reassurance of knowing your good health is in safe hands.

An important annual event

Know Your Numbers! Week is the UK’s largest blood pressure testing and awareness event of the year and something we support wholeheartedly as it brings the problems of high blood pressure firmly into focus for an increasing number of people.

High blood pressure is more likely to develop with age but is something that can affect adults of all ages. If you don’t know what your blood pressure is, get it checked – it’s the only way to know for sure and if it is too high then there is something you can do about it!