What is high blood pressure, causes and the four lifestyle red flags that mean you could have it
High blood pressure is known as the ‘silent killer’ 🚨
- An estimated 14 million people in the UK have high blood pressure.
- It is known as the ‘silent killer’ as it often has no symptoms.
- Lifestyle can play a major factor into high blood pressure.
A leading pharmacist is warning about the red flags that could mean you have high blood pressure.
It is estimated that of the 14 million people in the UK with high blood pressure, only nine million have been diagnosed. Suggesting some five million people, nearly the entire population of Scotland, are likely unaware they are at risk of the UK’s ‘silent killer’.
High blood pressure has no visible symptoms. The only way to truly know if you have hypertension is to get your blood pressure checked by a healthcare professional.
Well Pharmacy’s deputy superintendent, George Sandhu, warns that many people will be blissfully unaware they have a serious underlying health condition.
What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is very common, but it can have dangerous consequences. Consistently high blood pressure is called hypertension. It is a contributing factor in half of all strokes and heart attacks in the UK and was responsible for 75,000 deaths in England in 2015.
Who is at risk of high blood pressure?
Men are more prone to high blood pressure than women and tend to develop the condition earlier. New research from Well suggests that around three in 10 (29%) men believe they have high blood pressure, but similar numbers (28%) have not been tested for at least 18 months.
According to the study, nearly a quarter (24%) of the UK’s youngest adult males, Gen Z aged 18 to 28, believe they have the condition. Slightly higher in Millennial men (25%), aged 29 to 43. Of the older men surveyed, Gen X and Baby Boomers, even more suspect they have high blood pressure, at 30% and 40% respectively.
Gen Z women believe they are more likely to have high blood pressure than their male counterparts, with a quarter (25%) of 18 to 28-year-olds suspecting they have it. A third (34%) of Gen X women, aged 44 and 59, think they have high blood pressure.
Boomer women, aged 60 and 78, are the most likely to believe they have high blood pressure at four in ten (42%). While less than two in 10 (16%) millennial women suspect they are sufferers.
However, around three in ten (32%) millennial men and women (35%) have not had their blood pressure checked in the last year and a half, despite some being in their 40s. More concerningly, a quarter of Gen X men (27%) and women (24%), and one in 10 (13%) of both male and female Boomers have not had a blood pressure test in the last 18 months.
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
High blood pressure has no visible symptoms and, because of this, is often called the ‘silent killer.’ All men and women aged 40 and over should check their blood pressure regularly with a medical professional, as this is the only way to truly know if they have hypertension.
What causes high blood pressure?
One of the biggest contributors to high blood pressure is lifestyle, with things such as diet, alcohol consumption, and work stress playing a factor.
Here are four red flags for high blood pressure:
Diet
While the majority of us know that diet plays a key part in overall health, it can have a big impact on blood pressure. A high-sodium, junk food diet containing lots of chips, crisps, and nuts, combined with excessive alcohol consumption, is a good indicator of high blood pressure.
Similarly, a diet lacking fruit, vegetables, and wholegrains can also raise blood pressure and increase the odds of being diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Inactivity
It is increasingly common to sit at a desk all day and forget to move your body. Inactivity is one of the biggest factors behind developing high blood pressure; the NHS recommends that people do at least two and a half hours of exercise a week as a minimum.
However, it is easy to go beyond this and head out for a one-hour walk every evening following the working day to ensure to get your recommended 10,000 steps in.
Smoking
Smoking is known to seriously damage the body, from the mouth to the lungs, the heart, and the limbs. There are still over six million smokers in the UK who may be unaware of the risk of developing high blood pressure through their addiction to cigarettes.
Smoking damages blood vessels, which reduces blood flow through the body and ultimately towards the heart. This increased strain on the body increases blood pressure, which can lead to a variety of severe medical conditions, from heart attacks to strokes and loss of limbs.
Stress
While some people may eat a good, healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly, another issue that can cause high blood pressure is stress. Our fast-paced lives and jobs can heap stress and strain on the body, causing blood pressure spikes.
This continued stress can actually lead to long-term high blood pressure, which can, in turn, lead to cardiovascular issues and lead to heart attacks and strokes.
It is important for people who live with stress to try to occupy their minds with breathing exercises or relaxing activities such as swimming or yoga.
How to manage high blood pressure?
If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, treatment is available, from changing your lifestyle habits to monitoring and medication, which can be taken once a day and will keep blood pressure under control.
Well Pharmacy’s Deputy Superintendent George Sandhu said: “If you think you have high blood pressure, or worry a loved one may have it, you have nothing to lose from finding out with a quick and painless test.
“Well offers free blood pressure checks to anyone over the age of 40, which can be completed in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea. Once you have your results, you can begin to focus on your heart health and ensure that changes must be made; you start sooner rather than later.
“Data suggests five million Brits are living with the silent killer - help us reduce that number by popping in to your local pharmacy for a free test - it might just save your life.”
You can find out more about high blood pressure and how to find out your numbers at Blood Pressure UK.