NHS reminder to get your blood pressure checked, it may save your life
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels.
Cause of one in four deaths
CVD causes a quarter of deaths in England and high blood pressure is the largest single risk factor for it.
High blood pressure can increase your risk of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as heart attacks stroke, kidney disease and vascular dementia.
No symptoms
As high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, it is estimated that 4.2 million people in England have it without knowing it.
The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get a blood pressure test, which is a free, simple and non-invasive procedure.
Free check
And 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.
You can:
- use this link to the NHS website find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks near you;
- search “pharmacy blood pressure check” online.
If you are aged 40-74 and live in Sefton you may be eligible for an NHS Health Check .