#KNOWYOURNUMBERS

It's #KnowYourNumbersWeek, which is about raising blood pressure awareness. Did you know how important it is to monitor high blood pressure, especially as we get older?

An ideal blood pressure is under 120/80mmHg. Do you Know Your Numbers? Find your nearest blood pressure check.

Is high blood pressure more common in older people?

A 2021 survey of England found that hypertension is by far most common in older people, with 60% of over 60s having it. This is nearly twice as many as the age group below, 45 – 64-year-olds, of which 35% had high blood pressure.

Being over 65 years old is one of the risk factors for developing high blood pressure:

Other risk factors include:

Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as:
- Poor diet, particularly one that is high in salt and low in fruit and vegetables
- Obesity
- Not enough exercise
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Smoking
- Consuming too much caffeine
Stress
Pregnancy
Diabetes
Kidney disease
Being of black African or black Caribbean descent

High blood pressure can be treated by:

Lifestyle changes, including managing stress, a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, quitting smoking and reducing or quitting alcohol
Medication

If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to:

Stroke
Heart attack or heart failure
Vascular dementia
Kidney failure or kidney disease
Loss of vision

The only way to be sure about blood pressure is to have it tested. You can go to your GP or sometimes local pharmacy, or buy a home blood pressure cuff. Be aware that blood pressure does fluctuate, so taking it at different times of day can give you a clearer average reading.