Only in England more than five million people have high blood pressure, and without even being aware of it. They walk around like time bombs, and in the UK this state is called the biggest ‘silent killer’ because it has no obvious symptoms, and is one of the most common causes of premature death and can cause stroke and heart attack, and even kidney failure.
In England, hypertension, i.e. high blood pressure has been diagnosed to 7.6 million people, but it is assumed that there are about five million people that are troubled with the same problem, and that they are not aware of it. Professor Peter Weissberg points out that in fact people are unaware of their condition until they receive a heart attack or a stroke, which could be prevented and treated, if the high blood pressure was diagnosed on time. Weissberg added: “It is simply unacceptable to allow so many heart attacks and strokes that could be prevented, especially when the solution is so simple.”
Hypertension affects one in four adults and is the cause of 12 percent of the visits to a general practitioner in England, while in Croatia it is assumed that 35 percent of the populationis affected by this disease.
With regard to the treatment of diseases caused by high blood pressure, only in England annually are spends more than 2.1 billion pounds. Therefore it makes sense that the public health workers are working hard on diagnosing the disease on time. USA and Canada have implemented successful initiatives to encourage people to lower their high blood pressure in small steps. This includes a change of diet, specifically the reduction of salt intake, maintaining a healthy body weight and reduced alcohol intake.
People who fall into the risk group should regularly measure their blood pressure and inform the doctor about any changes. Also, it is recommended that all firms provide testing on a work place for their employees.
Professor Huon Gray points out that it is important to normalize your blood pressure as soon as possible, because this way more than half of the strokes and many heart attacks will be prevented. Otherwise, blood pressure higher than 140/90 is going to a group of high blood pressures, and people who develop this kind of blood pressure, should immediately inform their doctor and introduce all the necessary changes in their lifestyle.