Blood Pressure Testing
With new research released from Tesco showing many of us
fail to have our blood pressure tested, WLR dietitian Juliette
Kellow highlights the importance of a blood pressure test.
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Free Blood Pressure Testing from Tesco
By WLR Dietitian
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According to the British Heart Foundation’s 2006 report on
Coronary Heart Disease Statistics, around 34 percent of men
and 30 percent of women in England and Wales suffer from
hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, and
as a result are at a higher risk of dying from stroke or heart
disease.
New research from Tesco shows that many of us don’t know
what the blood pressure test measures or what is generally
accepted as ‘normal’ blood pressure. Meanwhile, even though it’s
recommended that everyone has his or her blood pressure checked
at least once every five years, this research revealed almost a
quarter of us haven’t had it tested within this time.
As a result of this research, Tesco has launched a free blood
pressure testing service in all of its 200 in-store pharmacies.
Penny Beck, superintendent pharmacist at Tesco says, “Knowing
more about blood pressure is vitally important for all of us.
High blood pressure rarely has any symptoms and the higher your
blood pressure, the greater your risk of having a heart attack
or stroke.”
All Tesco pharmacists have been trained to undertake the test
and can provide on-the-spot help and advice following the
result. If you want a free check, simply ask at the pharmacy
counter – you may need to make an appointment but more often
than not, you’ll be able to have it done there and then. For
details of your nearest Tesco pharmacy call 0800 505 5551.
WLR says:
This is a great idea! Getting your blood pressure checked
while doing your weekly shop is far less hassle than making an
appointment to see your GP. But do remember that if the test
finds you have high blood pressure, you’ll still need to see
your GP for further monitoring and advice.
How is blood pressure measured?
A blood pressure test measures the force at which blood
travels through the arteries when it’s pumped by the heart.
The
highest pressure, known as systolic pressure, occurs when the
beat or contraction of your heart forces the blood around the
circulation. The lowest pressure, known as diastolic pressure, occurs
between heartbeats.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of
mercury (mmHg) and a reading gives two numbers – the first
number is the systolic pressure and the second is the diastolic
pressure. A target blood pressure for adults is 140/85.
Causes of high blood pressure
Being overweight or obese, taking little exercise, drinking
too much alcohol and having excessive intakes of salt can all
contribute to high blood pressure.
Losing weight is one of the
best things you can do to help lower blood pressure – and taking
more exercise can help you achieve this.
Cutting down on alcohol will also help to lower blood
pressure – and cut calorie intakes so that you find it easier to
lose weight.
There is also overwhelming evidence that slashing the salt
content of our diets can help to lower blood pressure. On
average, most of us eat 9.5g of salt every day – but for the
sake of our blood pressure, we should limit this to just 6g
daily. Surprisingly, three quarters of our salt intake comes
from processed foods, so it’s particularly important to eat
fewer of these. This won’t do our waistlines any harm as many
salty foods are also loaded with calories such as sauces,
pickles, ready meals, ready-made pasta sauces, canned soups,
burgers, sausages, bacon, chicken nuggets, pizzas, takeaways,
crisps and savoury snacks.
Bottom line:
a healthy lifestyle can help us lose weight and keep our
blood pressure within normal limits. So stop making excuses and
start taking action!
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