Often called the "silent killer", high blood pressure, or hypertension, is the single biggest risk factor behind New Zealand’s leading cause of death: heart disease.
The New Zealand Heart Foundation is running a nationwide blood pressure awareness campaign this month with the aim of the campaign is to encourage New Zealanders to get their blood pressure checked.
High blood pressure contributes to nearly half of all cardiovascular deaths in New Zealand, around 4000 lives were lost each year.
In a statement, foundation medical director Gerry Devlin said high blood pressure damaged your arteries and could lead to heart attack and stroke.
"It rarely has symptoms, which is why so many people don’t realise they have it."
The good news was that managing blood pressure could dramatically reduce a person’s risk and protect their heart.
"For every 10-point drop in your systolic [the top number in a blood pressure reading] blood pressure, you reduce your risk of a heart event by 20%. Managing blood pressure is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health."
One in three Kiwis over 30 has high blood pressure, yet only a quarter have it under control.
There are about 350,000 people in New Zealand living with undiagnosed high blood pressure.
"We want to encourage New Zealanders to get their checks done, understand what the numbers mean and take charge of their heart health to live a longer, healthier life," Dr Devlin said.
Blood pressure checks could be done by a range of health professionals at a GP practice and at many pharmacies.
Buying a home blood pressure monitor was also an option.
There are many small, practical actions people can take to prevent and help manage high blood pressure.
Exercising more, eating healthier, reducing salt intake, improving sleep, reducing stress, and reducing alcohol all have a positive effect on blood pressure.
The Heart Foundation is offering free blood pressure checks to the public at a pop up clinic on May 19 at Timaru New World, 145 Wai-Iti Rd, from 11am to 3pm. — Allied Media
