NHS Stockport CCG are working on a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of knowing your blood pressure.We know that there are nearly 16,000 people in Stockport between the ages of 40 and 74 years that have not had a blood pressure reading in the last five years.
If you do know you have high blood pressure you can take some simple steps to change this (see below).
If you have high blood pressure and you don’t know, you could be at risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
1 in 4 adults in Stockport have high blood pressure….are you one of them?
High blood pressure can often go unnoticed as it doesn’t have any symptoms. The only way to find out is to have regular checksTo find out if you have high blood pressure contact your GP practice to book an appointment for a check. Alternatively you may wish to go down to one of our Wellpoint Kiosks. These machines are situated in 7 venues across Stockport. They record your blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, body fat and heart age.
For more information please see our Wellpoint Kiosk flyer –Hypertension leaflet
Events
We launched our campaign at a week long event in Merseyway, Stockport in April 2014.
We are also going to be running various roadshows in communities across Stockport where you can get a blood pressure check and some free lifestyle advice.
Our next event will be at:
Headlander Festival, Bramhall Rugby Club, Bramhall
Saturady 20th and Sunday 21st June 2015
http://www.headlanderfestival.co.uk/
Lifestyle Advice
High blood pressure increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke and it can cause other problems like dementia and kidney disease. For more information please see our Blood Pressure leaflet –
If you think you are at risk of high blood pressure there are lots of things you can do to prevent it.
Eat less salt
Did you know……?
- By eating less salt you can reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
- An adult should eat no more than 6g of salt a day – that’s about one full teaspoon.
- 75% of the salt we eat is hidden in processed foods.
Move more
Did you know……?
- Walking just over 20 minutes a day could help you live up to five years longer
- 150 minutes of moderate activity a week lowers stress levels and helps reduce your blood pressure.
- It’s estimated that a lack of exercise could be responsible for around 440 deaths a year in Stockport.
- Here are some simple steps you could take
- Use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
- Get off the bus a stop early
- Walk around the block for 10 minutes when you get home from work
- Put on some music and dance for a few tracks
- Put a bit of extra effort in when you do the housework
Drink alcohol in moderation
Think about what you are drinking. If you drink alcohol, it is important to keep within the guidelines:
- Men should not regularly drink more than 3 – 4 units of alcohol a day (no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day)
- Women should not regularly drink more than 2 – 3 units of alcohol a day (no more than 10 glasses per week).
For more information about making positive lifestyle changes visit www.healthystockport.co.uk
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