Blood Pressure UK's flagship blood pressure testing and awareness campaign, encourages adults to know their blood pressure numbers and take the necessary action to reach and maintain a healthy blood pressure.
High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other illnesses. Once you Know Your Numbers! you can get support to bring your blood pressure under control and prevent these diseases.
Around a third of people in the UK have high blood pressure, but most don’t know it. It doesn’t have any symptoms so, the only way to find out is to have a blood pressure check.
1 in 2 strokes and heart attacks are the result of high blood pressure. 6 million people in the UK alone have high blood pressure and don’t know it.
Blood pressure - we all have it, but do you know what your blood pressure numbers are?
A healthy blood pressure number is under 120/80mmHg. But having numbers higher than this can increase your risk heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease and other illnesses too. In fact - half of all strokes and hearts are a result of having high blood pressure.
Our blood pressure can be influenced by lots of different factors, including our diets and lifestyle- here are our top tips to help keep your blood pressure numbers at a healthy level!
- Eat more fruit and veg- at least 5 portions a day
- Go easy on the salt- adults should have less than 6g a day
- Get active- aim for at least 30 minutes at least 5 times a week such as brisk walking or gardening and avoid sitting for long periods of time
- Keep a healthy weight for your height- eating a balanced diet and staying active can help!
- Stop smoking
- Check your alcohol drinking is within recommended limits- no more than 14 units a week
- Prioritise your sleep- aim for 7-9 hours a night
- Manage stress- find an activity which can help you unwind and relax can help
