With Greater Manchester having one of the highest rates of heart attacks and strokes in England, this Know Your Numbers week, NHS Greater Manchester is urging Mancunians across the region to check their blood pressure and other health stats to potentially save their lives.
The national campaign, which runs from 2nd-8th September, aims to raise awareness of high blood pressure and how monitoring it is an easy and simple step to reducing chances of pain and disability in the future. But NHS Greater Manchester is asking for anyone over 40 to go one step further and also get their free NHS health check to help monitor other conditions that can affect the heart and blood vessels.
Blood pressure is the term used to describe the strength with which your blood pushes on the sides of your arteries, as it’s pumped around your body. High blood pressure or ‘hypertension’ means your blood pressure is too high and your heart is working harder when pumping blood around your body which stresses the “pipes” and along with cholesterol can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
High blood pressure is Known as the ‘silent killer’ because it usually has no symptoms until it’s too late, it is a leading cause of disability – accounting for 50% of all strokes and heart disease. But by knowing your numbers you can be on the front foot and start making healthy lifestyle changes and taking medicines if needed to bring it down to a healthy level. In fact, by making this small change and eliminating hypertension altogether it could get rid of the single biggest cause of death in women.
The good news is monitoring your blood pressure has never been easier:
BP@home is a scheme that is now available in most GP surgeries. Your local GP Practice team is helping to identify those at greatest risk of hypertension and is inviting them to monitor their blood pressure in the comfort of your own home and feedback the results to your GP surgery
If you’re over the age of 40 you can get a FREE blood pressure check at your local pharmacy
Some GP practices also have ‘surgery pods’ that can help take a blood pressure recording and send it directly into your GP health record without requiring an appointment
Blood pressure monitors can easily be bought online for use at home
For anyone aged 40-74 who doesn’t have any pre-existing health condition, there is also the NHS Health Check – a free check-up of your overall health which can tell whether you’re at higher risk of getting health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and stroke, and provide tips on how to reduce the risk.
Done by a healthcare professional, the check only takes about 20-30 minutes and usually includes:
Measuring your height and weight
Measuring your waist
A blood pressure test
A cholesterol test
Some questions about your health
Your age, gender and ethnicity
By doing this simple check-up, you can find out if you are at risk of getting any of these life-threatening conditions – many of which do not have symptoms and often have the same risk factors as other conditions such as preventable cancers, dementia and respiratory illness. Giving you the chance to take action to improve your health, including making lifestyle changes or taking medicines.
Anyone eligible for the over 40s NHS Health Check should be invited by their GP or local council every 5 years. If you think you are eligible but have not been invited, contact your GP surgery to find out if they offer them or contact your local council to find out where you can get it in your area. Some pharmacies also offer them.
Dr Manisha Kumar, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Greater Manchester, said: “We really want everyone to understand the importance of not only monitoring your blood pressure, but also being aware of how certain things like your cholesterol levels and weight can easily prevent devastating illnesses like strokes and heart disease.
“You’re never too young or old to start checking your blood pressure. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re already leading a healthy lifestyle or not, because it can also be high because of your genetics so you may need medication. By reducing your blood pressure, within six weeks you are less likely to have a heart attack or stroke – in fact, for every 10mm HG (the unit of measurement for blood pressure) reduced there is a 25% reduction in risk.
“We also really encourage over 40s to make the most of the free NHS Health Check and be fully informed about any risks you may have for illnesses such as diabetes and kidney disease etc so you can make life changes to counteract these often silent killers – helping you to live a longer and healthier life.”
To find out more about monitoring your own blood pressure please visithttps://gmintegratedcare.org.
