The importance of monitoring blood pressure

NEARLY half of adults (46%) living in Wales don’t know their current blood pressure reading, and nearly a quarter (23%) don’t check it regularly - despite high blood pressure being the biggest preventable cause of death in the country.

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‘That's according to a new poll from national charity Blood Pressure UK which reveals a startling disconnect between public awareness and action.

While 90% of adults recognise that high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, and 83% understand its link to strokes, a huge proportion still aren't taking steps to monitor their own health. Just 7% know that people over 40 should check their blood pressure once a year - a critical step in preventing life-threatening complications.

Even more worryingly, over half of those surveyed (52%) mistakenly believe that high blood pressure comes with clear symptoms, when in fact it’s often completely silent until it causes serious harm.