Cardiovascular disease (CVD), is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels and causes 1 in 4 deaths in England. High blood pressure is the largest single risk factor for CVD and can increase your risk of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as heart attacks stroke, kidney disease and vascular dementia. However, as high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, it is estimated that 4.2 million people in England have high blood pressure without knowing it.
New data has revealed that worrying numbers don’t know the potentially fatal effects of high blood pressure – with four in 10 (41 per cent) unaware that, if left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, and over a fifth (22 per cent) being unaware that it can cause strokes and heart attacks.
The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get a blood pressure test, which is a free, simple, non-invasive procedure.
If you’re aged 40 and over, you can get a free blood pressure check at your local participating pharmacy, without needing to book in advance.
Find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks near you by searching “pharmacy blood pressure check” online or visit the NHS website.