NHS has issued a warning over a condition affecting ‘around one in four’ adults
NHS bosses have issued an alert, urging certain people to “get checked”. A post from the health service’s official X account on Thursday highlights that today is Stroke Prevention Day, with “around one in four” adults suffering from a condition that can significantly increase risk of stroke.
The update reads: “Today is #StrokePreventionDay. High blood pressure significantly increases your risk of having a stroke. Around 1 in 4 adults in the UK have high blood pressure, but many don’t know it. Find out how to get checked and manage your risk.”
A graphic accompanying the post further explains that two types of people should get their blood pressure checked, either at a pharmacy or GP surgery. You should do this if: you think you might have high blood pressure or might be at risk of having high blood pressure, or if you’re aged 40 or over and have not had your blood pressure checked for more than five years.
Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is the most treatable risk factor of stroke, but it usually has no symptoms. NHS guidance adds: “You should have a blood pressure test if you’re worried about your blood pressure at any time.
“If you’re over 40, you can have this test done as part of an NHS Health Check, which is offered to adults in England aged 40 to 74 every 5 years.”
High blood pressure can be caused by a number of factors, including getting older, being overweight, and eating an unhealthy diet – particularly one that is high in salt. Other things that increase a person’s chances of developing hypertension include having close relatives with high blood pressure, being overweight, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, stress, and your ethnicity – as those with a Black African, Black Caribbean or South Asian background are at higher risk.
