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What's Your Number?
‘What’s your number?’. That’s the question people across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Royston are being asked ahead of World Hypertension Day on 17 May, as local health and care leaders encourage people at higher risk of high blood pressure to find out their number with a quick and easy blood pressure check.
High blood pressure often doesn’t cause any symptoms on its own, but it can lead to very serious issues including heart attacks and strokes. Whilst anyone can have high blood pressure, some people are more at risk than others – including people aged 40 and above, those from Black African, Black Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds, and people who smoke or who drink too much alcohol.
Local people can get their blood pressure checked at a range of locations close to home – from pharmacies and GP practices to some local libraries. A blood pressure check only takes a few minutes, and if you do have high blood pressure the NHS can offer you treatment and support to help bring your pressure down to healthy levels – potentially saving your life.
Dr Jessica Randall-Carrick, clinical lead for cardiovascular disease with NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, said:
“Whilst people with high blood pressure often don’t feel any symptoms at all, we know high blood pressure causes around one in four deaths in the UK because it can lead to life-threatening issues like heart attacks and strokes.
“We want to encourage local people at higher risk of hypertension to get their blood pressure checked, as the NHS can offer you support and treatment to bring your pressure down to healthy levels.
“That’s why we’re asking local people a simple but important question this spring: What’s your number?”
People who believe they may be at higher risk of high blood pressure can find out how to get their pressure checked quickly and easily via www.cpics.org.uk/whats-your-number.