Dr Amir Khan, a regular on ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, said doing this could stop ‘silent killer’
TV medical expert Dr Amir Khan, a regular on ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, has urged everyone over the age of 40 to invest in a crucial piece of equipment this year, promising ‘it could save your life. ‘ He shared his advice for the first thing people should do in 2025, acknowledging that grand New Year resolutions often fall short when it comes to weight loss or lifestyle changes.
In an Instagram post, he said: “I’m not a fan of New Years Resolutions – they are often doomed to failure. And you can choose to make healthy small achievable changes to your life at any point in the year – so if you don’t succeed in carrying them on past the first few weeks of January don’t be put off, just try again. But remember to make any goals realistic.”
The top priority, especially after celebrating a significant birthday, should be getting a blood pressure monitor, as it can detect serious conditions early on, which can have life-altering consequences, including leading to heart attacks. He advised: “If there is one thing I’d recommend it’s buying a home blood pressure machine (to anyone over 40, younger if you have a strong family history) – and monitoring your blood pressure at home.”
“Lots of people have high blood pressure and don’t know it, it’s often called the silent killer. Undiagnosed or poorly managed blood pressure increases risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, eye disease and other things so knowing your blood pressure numbers and keeping them at healthy levels is really important,” warned Dr Khan, an NHS doctor. He advised that the best time to check is after a person has been resting for 20-30 mins in a non-stressful environment.
“Blood pressure will naturally fluctuate throughout the day, so don’t worry if all the readings are not the same – but if your readings are persistently raised then speak to a healthcare professional.”, reports Surrey Live.
“Readings that average higher than 135-140/85-90 need to be looked at by a healthcare professional. You can help keep your blood pressure healthy by stopping smoking, managing alcohol consumption, eating wholefoods, doing regular movement, sleeping well and managing stress levels (easier said than done, I know)” “So if you haven’t already, make your New Year’s resolution to keep an eye on your blood pressure, keep it healthy and seek medical advice if it is persistently raised.”
For more information from the NHS on blood pressure click here.
