Highlands' residents have highest blood pressure on average in Scotland
People living in the Highlands have the highest blood pressure in Scotland and the seventh highest in the UK.
This puts the region's residents at increased risk of stroke, according to new data released by the Stroke Association.The charity released the results of over 54,200 blood pressure readings taken at their Know Your Blood Pressure events.Many of them have been run in partnership with Rotary International Britain and Ireland (RIBI) across the UK. The Highlands, South Lanarkshire and Angus are among the top ten areas with the highest blood pressure in Britain. However, people living in West Lothian had some of the lowest blood pressure readings.High blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke and the cause of half of all strokes. What is healthy?The ideal blood pressure is 120/80mmHg yet one in eight counties in the UK has an average blood pressure of 140/80mmHg or over meaning they have an increased risk of stroke.High blood pressure is usually diagnosed if it is consistently higher than 140/90mmHg. Anyone with a reading around or above this figure should seek advice from their GP. If your blood pressure is above 160/100mmHg you should seek urgent medical attention.The Know Your Blood Pressure campaign calls on everyone to get their blood pressure checked in order to reduce their risk of stroke. This year to date, 700 events are scheduled to take place in local communities and there will be more to come. To find your nearest Know Your Blood Pressure event visit www.stroke.org.uk/kybp.Top tips for reducing blood pressure:
Elspeth Molony, Deputy Director of the Stroke Association in Scotland said: “High blood pressure affects affects between 1 in 3 and 1 in 4 adults in the Scotland, yet it has no symptoms, so unfortunately many people are completely unaware that they have it.
“From the readings collected at our Know Your Blood Pressure events, we know that many parts of the UK have high blood pressure or are bordering on high which is extremely concerning. High blood pressure can be brought on by poor diet, smoking and stress and it often increases with age.
“However, in many cases high blood pressure can be controlled by making healthy lifestyle changes or taking medication. Getting your blood pressure checked regularly is absolutely essential in order to keep your stroke risk down.”
- Eat a healthy diet low in saturated fat and salt
- Exercise regularly
- Give up smoking
- Reduce stress
- Lose weight if you need to