NHS 'Get Your Blood Pressure Checked' campaign launches today

The NHS ‘Get Your Blood Pressure Checked’ campaign launched today, and has the following primary messages: 

● High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. 

● You could be one of millions living with high blood pressure without knowing it. 

● An estimated 4.2 million adults in England currently have undiagnosed high blood pressure.

● Left untreated, high blood pressure can significantly increase your risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and vascular dementia.

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes 1 in 4 deaths in England - around one death every four minutes.

● The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get a blood pressure test. 

• It’s a free, simple and a non-invasive procedure conducted in privacy at your local pharmacy, and you don’t need to book in advance.  

● If you're aged 40 and over, you can get a free blood pressure check at a local pharmacy, unless you’ve already been diagnosed with high blood pressure or a doctor, nurse or pharmacist has checked your blood pressure in the past 6 months.

● High blood pressure can often be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation, and not smoking.

● Even if your blood pressure is high, then there are things you can do to treat it with lifestyle changes and/or medication.

Further messages are:

● Getting your blood pressure checked could save your life.

● High blood pressure is a serious condition that damages more than your blood vessels and heart, but also your brain, kidneys and eyes.

● If you have high blood pressure, reducing it even a small amount can help lower your risk of serious health conditions including; heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and vascular dementia.

● Some people from Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, Black African and Black Caribbean heritage may have high blood pressure at a younger age and are more likely to have serious consequences, these groups are strongly encouraged to get their blood pressure checked.

● The campaign will help support the NHS Long Term Plan which focuses on tackling health inequalities and the prevention of ill health and aims to prevent 150,000 strokes, heart attacks and dementia cases over the next ten years, by raising awareness and diagnosis of high blood pressure.

Calls to Action

● Get your blood pressure checked for free at your pharmacy today

• Search ‘Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check’
• Or Find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks - NHS (www.nhs.uk)