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Why are blood pressure readings an important part of the            Health Screen ?

High blood pressure is the biggest known cause of disability and premature death in the UK through stroke, heart attack and heart disease.  One in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure and every day 350 people have a preventable stroke or heart attack caused by the condition.

What is blood pressure ?

When your heart beats, it pumps blood around the body to give it the energy and oxygen it needs.  As the blood moves it pushes against the sides of the blood vessels.  The strength of this pushing is your blood pressure.

Blood pressure is not usually something that you feel or notice.  The only wat to know what your blood pressure is, is to have it measured.

Blood pressure is measured in 'millimetres of mercury' (mmHg).  When your blood pressure is measured it will be written as two numbers.  For example, if your reading is 120/80mmHg, your blood pressure is '120 over 80'.

The points below shows what differnet readings can mean:

• Blood pressure reading less than 120 over 80 means your blood pressure is normal and healthy.  To keep your blood pressure at this level you must follow a healthy lifestyle.
• Blood pressure reading between 121 over 81 and 139 over 89 means your blood pressure is a little higher than it should be, and you should try to lower it.  Make healthy changes to your lifestyle.
• Blood pressure reading 140 over 90 or higher (over a number of weeks) means you have high blood pressure.  Change your lifestyle, see your doctor and take any medicines that the doctor prescribes you.

What is high blood pressure ?

If your reading is consistently 140 over 90, or higher over a number of weeks, you probably have high blood pressure.  Your blood pressure may also be high if just one of the numbers is higher than it should be.

High blood pressure usually has no signs or symptoms, so the only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it measured.  However, a single high reading does not necessarily mean you have high blood pressure.  Many things can affect your blood pressure through the day, so you will need to see that it stays high over time.

So, why is blood pressure important ?

If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your heart and lood vessels.  Over time, this extra strain can damage your body's organs, which puts you at risk of health problems.

If you have high blood pressure and do not control it, this raises your risk of a heart attack or stroke.  High blood pressure can also cause heart and kidney disease, and is closely connected to some forms of dementia.

So, what causes high blood pressure ?

For most people, there may be no single cause for their high blood pressure.  It is not exactly known what causes high blood pressure, but it is known that your lifestyle can greatly affect your risk of developing it.  You are at a higher risk if:

• You don't eat enough fruit and vegetables.
• You eat too much salt.
• You are not active enough.
• You are overweight.
• You drink too much alcohol.

Some people may have high blood pressure that is linked to another medical condition, such as kidney problems.  For these people, treating the medical problem can lower their blood pressure back to normal.

Can anything else affect blood pressure ?

Age: as you get older, the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle can buld up and your blood pressure can increase.

Ethnic origin: people from African-Caribbean and South Asian communities are at greater risk than other people of high blood pressure.

Family history: you are at greater risk if other members of your family have, or have had, high blood pressure.

In addition to participating in a Workforce Wellness Health Screen, you can learn more about maintaining a healthy rate of blood pressure by visiting www.bpassoc.org.uk

The Blood Pressure Association (BPA) is one of the UK's leading blood pressure charities.  You can contact the BPA at: