Blood Pressure & Health

Blood Pressure Appeal Timothy West – Radio 4

Actor Timothy West spoke to BBC Radio 4 about the importance of supporting blood pressure testing

The following is a transcript of Timothy’s  Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the healthcare charity the Blood Pressure Association.

It was the perfect August Bank Holiday Cath and her husband Glen were driving to a country pub to have lunch – on the way they stopped for a newspaper, Glen stopped in the car.  As Cath left the shop she was startled by the sound of a blaring car horn – she looked up to see Glen slumped at the drivers’s seat, his head on the steering wheel.

Glen had died from hypertensive heart disease, a late complication of high blood pressure which he’d had unknowingly had for years – he was just 39.

Rugby mad Glen had seemed fit and healthy with a fantastic future ahead of him, yet appearances can be deceptive.

One in three have high blood pressure

Like me, Glen had high blood pressure, unlike me he was not fortunate enough to know it – you see it’s symptomless – a silent killer. One in three of you listening today will have high blood pressure yet a third of you who do wont even know it

I’m one of the lucky ones – I was diagnosed with high blood pressure during a medical before starting a film. I got the support I needed to bring my condition under control – that’s why, twenty years later I’m talking to you now.

A group of cardivascualr professors were frustrated at seeing endless strokes and heart attacks caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure and formed a healthcare charity awareness organisation for the public’s benefit. The charity takes blood pressure testing out onto the high street. Over the past nine years they’ve provided free checks to over a million people who might not otherwise have known their blood pressure. They also support thousands of people already diagnosed with the condition.

Prevent tragedies like this – its horrific to lose someone but when its preventable its heart breaking.

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Blood pressure myths exploded

There are a number of common myths about high blood pressure and its treatment. The following information  tackles five of the most common.

Your blood pressure should be 100 plus your age

There is often a feeling that high blood pressure is just a natural part of ageing, and that as your age increases, so should your blood pressure. This is definitely not the case.

High blood pressure is a reading above 140/90 mmHg, whatever your age. It is not just a part of ageing, and it is certainly not inevitable.

We do not know exactly what causes high blood pressure, but we do know that your lifestyle has a lot to do with it. The less healthy a life you lead, the more likely you are to have high blood pressure. So over time, as you get older, the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle build up and raise your blood pressure to levels that are too high.

You’ll know if you have high blood pressure because you can feel it

High blood pressure will only occasionally cause symptoms when it is very high. In almost all cases, high blood pressure has no symptoms whatsoever.

There are around 16 million people with high blood pressure in the UK. Around a third of these people do not know they have it.

The only way to know if your blood pressure is too high, is to have it checked. That is why we recommend that everyone has their blood pressure measured regularly.

You can measure your own blood pressure without needing to use a stethoscope by using an automatic blood pressure monitor.

Only people who are stressed or “hyper” need to worry about their blood pressure

Anyone can develop high blood pressure. Leading a busy or stressful lifestyle doesn’t appear to make you more likely to develop high blood pressure than anyone else

Stress and anxiety will raise your blood pressure in the short term, but when you relax your blood pressure will go down again. The only way that a stressful lifestyle can raise your blood pressure is if you have a poor diet or aren’t getting enough exercise as a result of it.

If you have high blood pressure you can’t take any exercise

While you exercise, your blood pressure increases. Once you stop exercising, your blood pressure goes back down to its usual levels.

Some people think that this brief increase in blood pressure puts them at greater risk of a heart attack or stroke. For most people with high blood pressure, this is not the case. In fact, regular physical activity can help to lower your blood pressure.

If you have high blood pressure, you may find it useful to speak to your doctor or nurse before starting any new exercises. If your blood pressure is quite high (e.g. above 180/100mmHg) then they may prefer you to lower it with medicines before you start exercising.

High blood pressure causes heart attacks, low blood pressure causes strokes

The first part of this statement is certainly true: high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke.

However, low blood pressure does not increase your risk of having a stroke. In fact, the lower your blood pressure is, the lower your risk of heart disease or stroke.

If you have low blood pressure this should not usually be a cause for concern. However, if low blood pressure is causing you to feel faint or dizzy, speak to your doctor or nurse.

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