High blood pressure can lead to heart and circulatory disease, also known as cardiovascular disease (CVD), which causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK – the equivalent of around 2,300 deaths each month in the Midlands alone.
Community pharmacies offer a free blood pressure check service for people aged 40 and over with no previous history of high blood pressure; to find your local pharmacy, visit NHS Find a pharmacy.
Alternatively, people can use the free health monitors which are located at Central, Bilston, Warstones and Wednesfield libraries, the Bob Jones Community Hub and at WV Active Aldersley, WV Active Central and WV Active Bilston Bert-Williams. They allow users to accurately measure their blood pressure along with their height, weight, BMI (body mass index) and heart rate, with results printed on a slip of paper for users to take away with them.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “Know Your Numbers! Week is a great opportunity to engage with your own wellbeing, helping you understand the importance of things like blood pressure.
"High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for strokes. It is also known as the silent killer, with a third of people with high blood pressure not knowing they have it. So please make sure you know your numbers and get a free blood pressure check."
Know Your Numbers! Week, which runs until Sunday (8 September), is an annual campaign led by charity Blood Pressure UK. People are encouraged to measure their blood pressure to see if it’s under control, modify their lifestyle if necessary and manage their blood pressure and health. For more details, please visit Blood Pressure UK.
