There are so many things that we can do to delay or even prevent disease, such as stopping smoking, watching what you eat and drink, and being active. One of the simplest and most important things we can do is to know our blood pressure numbers.
Blood pressure is the pressure of blood in your arteries. Your blood pressure naturally goes up and down throughout the day and night, and it’s normal for it to go up while you’re moving about. It’s when your overall blood pressure is consistently high, even when you are resting, that you need to do something about it.
Over 24 percent of people in England are estimated to have high blood pressure, it’s the main causes of premature death and disability in the UK due to the strokes, heart attacks and heart disease it causes.
High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms, and most people who have high blood pressure don’t even know they have it. For every ten people diagnosed with high blood pressure, seven remain undiagnosed and untreated – this is more than 5.5 million people in England.
Keeping an eye on your blood pressure by checking it regularly is the only way to know if you have high blood pressure of not.
There are also many simple and easy lifestyle habits that you can introduce to help keep your blood pressure within a healthy range. The Green Hearts 30–Day Challenge guide has lots of useful information and tips. Download your free copy here.