The government has launched a spring campaign to encourage people aged over 40 to get their blood pressure checked.
The campaign is being led by the Department of Health and Social Care, which has also warned that up to 4.2 million people in England could be living with undiagnosed high blood pressure.
Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is often known as the ‘silent killer’ because it often has no symptoms but, if left untreated, can lead to fatal heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and vascular dementia. It affects an estimated 32% of adults.
New NHS data has shown that, despite the majority of high blood pressure cases being asymptomatic, only one in 14 respondents (7%) thought the condition had no symptoms.
One in six (17%) of those surveyed also had been put off having a blood pressure check because they did not feel unhealthy or stressed.
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The survey of more than 2,000 adults aged 40 and over revealed worrying numbers who do not know the potentially fatal effects of high blood pressure.
Four in 10 (41%) were unaware that, if left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, and more than a fifth (22%) were unaware it can cause strokes and heart attacks.
The Get Your Blood Pressure Checked campaign has been launched to highlight that there are often ‘no clues’ as to who has high blood pressure, and has been backed by celebrities including presenter Gloria Hunniford and footballer Graeme Souness.
The NHS has expanded blood pressure checks in community pharmacies, adding capacity for an additional 2.5 million tests, and so the national campaign is urging those aged 40 years and over to get a free blood pressure test at a participating pharmacy.
The campaign has been backed by a range of charities, including the British Heart Foundation, Stroke Association, Heart Research UK, Blood Pressure UK, May Measurement Month, and British Society for Heart Failure.
The campaign will urge those at risk to prioritise getting their blood pressure checked, even if they have no symptoms, after the survey revealed blood pressure checks are low on the list of people’s annual priorities.
The majority of those at risk currently prioritised annual tasks such as getting their car MOT’d (56%), getting their boiler serviced (55%) or renewing insurances (60%), above checking their blood pressure (43%) – despite its life-saving potential.
Meanwhile two in five (44%) were not aware they could get a free blood pressure check at a pharmacy, with even more being unaware that they do not need an appointment (59%).
Health minister Andrea Leadsom said: “Knowing if you have a healthy blood pressure is so important and this new drive will help to prevent the potentially fatal consequences of untreated high blood pressure.
“I urge people to go to their local pharmacy today to get their blood pressure checked. It could be a lifesaving trip.”
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Chief medical officer for England Sir Professor Chris Whitty added: “The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get a simple, non-invasive blood pressure test. Even if you are diagnosed, the good news is that it’s usually easily treatable.
“Getting your blood pressure checked at a local pharmacy is free, quick and you don’t even need an appointment, so please go for a check today – it could save your life.”
