Do you know your blood pressure???  It’s really important to know if your blood pressure is normal or not so you can take action early.  This week blood pressure UK is encouraging everyone who doesn’t know their numbers to get a test.   1 in 3 adults in the UK have high blood pressure and 1 in 2 don’t know they have it or aren’t doing anything about it.

Because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, the first sign of it could be a heart attack or stroke. It can cause kidney disease, dementia and other illnesses too. But these tragedies can be prevented with medications and lifestyle changes.

Here’s some numbers from their website for you to digest in the meantime:

• £2.1 billion – that’s how much high blood pressure costs the NHS every year.
• 5 million people have had a free blood pressure check during our annual Know Your Numbers! Week, the UK’s biggest blood pressure testing and awareness event.
• 120/80 – An ideal blood pressure is under 120/80mmHg. Do you Know Your Numbers?
• 350 – Every day in the UK, 350 people have a stroke or heart attack that could have been prevented. See why Know Your Numbers! is needed.
• 6 million people in the UK have high blood pressure and don’t know it. Could you get involved and help us find them?

We believe every adult in the UK should know their blood pressure numbers in the same way they know their height and weight. When you Know Your Numbers! you can take steps to look after your blood pressure and lead a long and healthy life. So please take a moment to get to know yours…

You can actually buy a blood pressure monitor from the likes of Amazon for about £20 if you can’t make it to a station near you due to COVID buy one for you and your family and friends.