National High Blood Pressure Education Month
High blood pressure, hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart disease. This month emphasises the importance of regular blood pressure checks, lifestyle changes and preventive measures to control hypertension.
On the NHS website it says that high blood pressure is very common, especially in older adults. There are usually no symptoms and you may not know you have it.
Ageing increases your blood pressure, but having close relatives with high blood pressure can increase your risk. Ethnicity can increase your risk of high blood pressure if you have a Black African, Black Caribbean or South Asian ethnic background.
Being overweight, or having an unhealthy diet, smoking, drinking too much alcohol or feeling stressed over a long period.
Get your blood pressure checked at a pharmacy or GP surgery if you think you might have high blood pressure or at risk if you are 40 or over and not had your blood pressure checked for more than five years.
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#NationalHighBloodPressureEducationMonth
