‘What you don’t know could kill you’ – charity urges blood pressure checks to avoid ‘silent killer’

The charity is advising members of the public to get checked by their GP or at a pharmacy to detect the condition, which often has no symptoms.

High blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart and kidney failure or dementia.

“What you don’t know could kill you,” Irish Heart Foundation Director of Health Promotion Janis Morrisey, has said.

"High blood pressure, in the vast majority of cases, has no symptoms,” she added.

Almost 10,000 lives were lost in Ireland due to heart disease and stroke in 2022, latest figures have shown.

Blood pressure is a measure of how effectively the heart pumps blood around the body, as a high reading and hypertension is manageable through medication and lifestyle changes.

A normal reading is about 120 over 80, with high blood pressure being defined as 140 over 90 or higher.

Ms Morrisey has said: “The vast majority of those diagnosed with hypertension have no warning symptoms, so it is vital that blood pressure is checked and kept in check.”

“It is quick, easy, pain-free and does not involve a blood test,” she added.

It comes as the Irish Heart Foundation is leading its ‘Before Damage is Done’ campaign this May and June to encourage adults to have their blood pressure checked.

The risk of high blood pressure increases with age, therefore the national charity has urged those over 50 in particular who may be living with high blood pressure to get checked.

Everyone aged over 30 should have their blood pressure checked every five years.

“There could be a history of hypertension in your family so a GP will look at cholesterol, weight and lifestyle factors to assess your cardiac health,” Ms Morrissey has added.

A GP can assess risk levels and may advise the patients to get more frequent checks.

Hypertension can be managed not only by prescribed medication but also by lifestyle changes, such as healthy eating, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol.

Meanwhile, Irish Heart Foundation Consultant Cardiologist and Medical Director Dr Angie Brown has said that high blood pressure is the “biggest risk factor” for stroke, heart conditions, heart attacks and dementia.

"A quarter of people having strokes are under the age of 65 so something like this can have devastating consequences not only for someone’s health but also on their quality of life and financial independence if they are forced to stop working,” she said.

“Thousands of local pharmacies across Ireland offer free blood pressure checks, while most GPs will carry them out during general consultations,” she added.