Stroke Prevention Day: A reminder of the importance of having your blood pressure checked

A stroke is when blood stops flowing to a part of your brain. It can affect things like speech and movement and take a long time to recover. A stroke needs urgent medical help in hospital because it can be life-threatening. 

High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke and plays a part in about half of all strokes. In the West Midlands, there are almost 28,000 people living with high blood pressure.

Selected community pharmacies across the Black Country offer a free blood pressure check service for people aged 40 and over with no previous history of high blood pressure. You can find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks near you on the NHS website.

Sukhy Somal, Head of Community Pharmacy Clinical Services for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “High blood pressure rarely has any symptoms which is why it is called the ‘silent killer’. It can significantly raise your risk of a life-threatening stroke, heart attack or heart failure, and the only way to know you have the condition is to get your blood pressure measured.

“If you are over 40 and don’t already have a diagnosis of high blood pressure you can visit one of your local participating pharmacies for a blood pressure check. It’s free, quick and you don’t even need an appointment, so please go for a check today - it could save your life.

“This Stroke Prevention Day let’s take action to look after our health and reduce the risk of stroke. By knowing your blood pressure and taking simple steps to control it, you can protect yourself and others from the dangers of stroke.”

Salman Ahmad, local pharmacist in the Black Country, said: “We’re encouraging adults of any age to get their blood pressure checked on a regular basis. This will equip them with knowledge on whether they are at risk of having a stroke or not, so they can take any necessary steps to reduce their chances, if required.

“The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get a blood pressure test, which is a free, simple, non-invasive procedure and can be completed in a private space at a participating pharmacy.

“Depending on the result, the pharmacist might give you advice to support healthy living, give you a blood pressure monitor to take home with you and return later, or advise you to see a GP. Your blood pressure readings are also sent to your GP so your health records can be updated. Having this quick test is the only way to find out what your blood pressure is – and it could save your life.”

For more information about blood pressure visit the NHS Black Country ICB website.