‘Silent killer’ well being warning as individuals born earlier than 1986 can get ‘free’ verify
The service is only free for certain people in England
Some pharmacies in England offer free tests for certain people(Image: GETTY)
The NHS is urging people to check if they might be eligible for a free service at their local pharmacy. It could detect a ‘silent killer’ in their veins before it takes action.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, can be a deadly health issue as it increases your risk of major medical emergencies like loss of vision, heart attacks and strokes. However, it rarely causes symptoms on its own before triggering these events, making it a ‘silent killer’ so people need to be proactive in getting tested for high blood pressure.
Some people can get their blood pressure checked for free if they are aged 40 or over, meaning everyone born in 1986 or earlier may be eligible. They must also be living in England.
If you already know you have high blood pressure or had your blood pressure checked by a healthcare professional in the past six months you might not be eligible for a free test. There’s a range of lifestyle and genetic factors that influence your blood pressure. This includes things you can’t control such as getting older, having a family history of high blood pressure or being an ethnicity that has a higher risk such as Black African descent.
Other things raising your blood pressure might be in your control, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, eating too much salt and being overweight or not getting enough exercise.
When getting your blood pressure checked at an NHS pharmacy, the pharmacy team will share the results with you. This is made up of two numbers and a normal blood pressure range is between 90/60mmHg and 130/85mmHg according to the British Heart Foundation.
The pharmacy team can provide some advice or guidance to support you in healthy living. If your blood pressure is high, you might be given a blood pressure machine to take home and then return.
They may also advise you to visit a GP about your blood pressure if necessary. The BHF recommends getting your blood pressure checked every five years if you’re aged between 40 and 74.
If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure your GP may recommend medications that can help lower your blood pressure as well as lifestyle changes. These include beta blockers, ACE inhibitors or diuretics.
Ways to lower blood pressure according to BHF:
- Eat a healthy diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and oily fish
- Be active
- Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink
- Stop smoking
