12 May 2023

Lower Your Blood Pressure: Monitor, Diagnose, and Manage

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common medical condition that affects many millions of people worldwide. It is a condition that occurs when the force of blood against the walls of the arteries is too high. Despite what you may have been led to believe, there’s nothing “essential” about hypertension, and neither does it HAVE to go up as we age. In hunter-gatherer populations who don’t eat junk foods, but move around a lot and sleep well, hypertension and heart disease are virtually unknown. Whereas in Westernised, industrialised societies, heart disease is the single largest killer.

For obvious reasons high blood pressure, is known as the "silent killer."

Since people with hypertension usually have no symptoms, you may have high blood pressure without even being aware of it. In a rare but severe form of hypertension, symptoms like headaches, bleeding from the nose, and shortness of breath are common. A normal blood pressure is when your results estimate a top (systolic) pressure of less than 120 and a bottom (diastolic) pressure of less than 80.

A key indicator of the dangers of is through one of our ProLongevity customer’s, John Allard. ProLongevity is a service which coaches you and provides a nutrition service to give you the lifelong tools to reduce your risk of life-limiting health problems, diabetes and weight loss. John faced severe health issues including being in the state of prediabetes, high blood pressure and overweight all without any known symptoms. Without the help of ProLongevity, John could have been in a much worse position and so, the importance of knowing your blood pressure is vital.

Link to John’s journey - Getting Started with ProLongevity

What is our Blood Pressure Service at Letchworth Pharmacy?

The blood pressure service offered by Letchworth Pharmacy aims to help patients to diagnose and manage their blood pressure levels and reduce their risk of developing the complications associated with hypertension.

The service involves a trained pharmacist taking a customer's blood pressure measurement and providing advice on how to manage blood pressure levels. The pharmacist will also provide guidance on lifestyle changes and offer recommendations on medications that may be helpful in managing blood pressure. If you are detected with high blood pressure, we provide you with a device that will measure your BP continually over the next 24 hrs. This provides a MUCH more accurate diagnosis than a one-off reading

Why Choose Letchworth Pharmacy's Blood Pressure Service?

The service is provided by trained and experienced pharmacists who are knowledgeable about hypertension and its management. The pharmacists are also friendly, approachable, and always ready to answer any questions that customers may have. Customers can trust Letchworth Pharmacy to provide them with the best possible advice and recommendations on managing their blood pressure levels.

You are eligible for the NHS blood pressure check service if you are:

Adults who are 40 years old or over, who do not have a current diagnosis of hypertension;

Patients, by exception, under the age of 40 who request the service because they have a recognised family history of hypertension may be provided the service at the pharmacist’s discretion;

Patients between 35 and 39 years old who are approached about or request the service may be tested at the pharmacist’s discretion; and

Adults specified by a general practice for the measurement of blood pressure (clinic and ambulatory blood pressure checks). This process should be agreed locally with general practices.

Approximately 5.5 million people have undetected hypertension nationwide - you may be one of them.

Our blood pressure service is quick and convenient. Book an appointment with us or give us a call, and we can check your blood pressure measurement along with a personal consultation.

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