Oxfordshire CCG is backing a campaign urging people to check their blood pressure (BP) regularly.

The charity Blood Pressure UK is running its annual ‘Know Your Numbers’ campaign from 6-12 September 2021. People with undiagnosed and uncontrolled high BP are more at risk from serious health issues such as stroke and heart attack.

The campaign is asking people to use a simple, reliable blood pressure monitor to measure their BP at home – and if necessary to get support to bring it under control through medication and lifestyle changes.

The charity website provides advice on buying inexpensive BP monitors to use at home, where to get them, how to use them and what to do with the information they provide – see here

Dr Ed Capo-Bianco, GP and urgent care lead at Oxfordshire CCG, said: “Home monitoring offers a way for people to take control of their health, feel confident, and take the pressure off the NHS at the same time. It gives you a practical way to ‘Know Your Numbers’ without visiting your GP or pharmacist. It puts you in the driver’s seat, and it really can save lives.”

Ed added: “Lockdown disrupted many people’s routine but as we return to normality, regular monitoring, especially for those with high blood pressure, will ensure potential problems can be detected early. High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other illnesses.

“If you already have high blood pressure or take medication to control your blood pressure, our advice is to get your blood pressure checked as soon as possible, which can be done through home monitoring. Once you ‘Know Your Numbers’ you will be more in control, and if things are not on track, you can contact your GP practice for advice and get support to bring your blood pressure down. The benefits include improved quality of life and reduced risk of serious illness.

“For people aged 40  and over without a diagnosis of high blood pressure, we would recommend having your blood pressure checked every three to five years. This might be more frequent for those people at higher risk including those who are overweight or obese, people with diabetes, or have a significant family history of hypertension”

Notes

For further information please visit the Blood Pressure UK website here: http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/ and the British Heart Foundation website here: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/support/manage-your-blood-pressure-at-home