Hypertension and health
High blood pressure is the one of the most significant preventable causes of premature death and illness.1 Untreated, hypertension increases the risk of serious health problems, including heart attack, stroke and end-stage renal disease.2
Being symptom free until a significant cardiovascular event, this ‘silent killer’ can be suddenly fatal or cause severe disability, dementia and progressive heart failure.
Around 16 million people – one in three of the adult population – have high blood pressure, but potentially 5 million remain undiagnosed. Blood pressure levels follow a normal distribution in the general population, but recent research indicates that people from the most deprived areas are 30 per cent more likely to have high blood pressure than people from the least-deprived areas.3
Encouraging the public to check their blood pressure regularly could help prevent
a stroke, heart attack or heart failure in around 45,000 people over the next decade in the UK, saving the NHS and social care services more than £1bn.3
Reflection
Many of your patients have high blood pressure, but what proportion of them actively monitor their own blood pressure?
Are you asked to advise on readings or variability in measurements?