Know Your Numbers – Mid and South Essex ICB programme

Are you at risk?  Know your Numbers – Mid and South Essex ICB programme launches

“Get checked as blood pressure issues can affect anyone. I have a family history of high blood pressure, so I decided to get checked during a routine visit. Finding out early that my blood pressure was elevated allowed me to start medication and make lifestyle changes before any serious problems developed.” 

– Dean from Rochford 

As part of our “Invincible Feeling, Invisible Danger” campaign, we’d like to share some important information about who might be at higher risk of developing high blood pressure. While anyone can develop high blood pressure, certain factors increase your risk:

You may be at higher risk if you:

• are aged 40 or over
• have an unbalanced diet, especially one high in salt
• are overweight
• smoke
• drink too much alcohol
• experience long-term stress
• have close relatives with high blood pressure
• are of Black African, Black Caribbean or South Asian background.

The good news is that knowing your risk factors helps you take control of your health. Many of these factors can be managed with lifestyle changes, while others (like age or family history) simply mean you should be more vigilant about regular checks.

What can you do today?

• Get a free blood pressure check at your local pharmacy if you’re 40 or over
• If you’ve been invited for an NHS Health Check, make sure to attend
• Be aware of lifestyle factors you can modify to lower your risk
• Remember, high blood pressure rarely has noticeable symptoms, but it’s associated with around half of all heart attacks and strokes. That’s why it’s so important to get yours checked.

Where can you get checked?

There are 175 pharmacies across mid and south Essex offering FREE blood pressure checks for over 40’s.  No appointment needed – just walk in!  The check only takes a couple of minutes.

Don’t wait for symptoms, they may not come until it is too late.

Find your nearest participating pharmacy here