Know your numbers

Hounslow Council is urging residents to get their blood pressure checked for free as part of the Know Your Numbers! week.

The Council’s Public Health commissioned service, One You Hounslow is offering free blood pressure checks as part of the national campaign “Know Your Numbers”. These will be held at special “pressure stations” around the borough from Monday 18 September to Sunday 24 September.

One You Hounslow Health Advisors who are trained in checking blood pressure are  hosting the Pressure Station at the Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow, TW3 4DN and at other venues across the borough, will provide information and advice on simple steps to keep blood pressure under control and will measure blood pressure accurately.

Get your blood pressure checks here:

• Heart of Hounslow, 92 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EL – Monday 18 September, 9.30am-1.30pm
• The Bridgelink Centre, Ivy Bridge, Summerwood Road, TW7 7QU, Tuesday 19 September, 10am-1pm
• Hanworth Air Park Leisure Centre & Library, 47 Uxbridge Road, Feltham, TW13 5EG, Tuesday 19 September, 3pm-5pm
• Hounslow Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow, TW3 4DN, Wednesday 20 September, 11am-3pm
• Age Concern Chiswick, The Friendship Club, Oxford Road North, W4 4DN, Thursday 21 September, 11am-1pm
• Chiswick Health Centre, Fisher’s Lane, Chiswick, W4 1RX, 2.30pm-4.30pm, Thursday 21 September
• Heston Pools and Fitness [Fusion] 17 New Heston Road, TW5 0LW, 10am-3pm, Friday 22 September

Blood Pressure UK has issued warnings that ignoring health warnings, particularly about poor diet and an excess of salt intake, is leading more young people to develop hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) – putting them at risk of having an early stroke.

Figures show the proportion of strokes in working age people (those aged 25 to 64) has increased despite an overall drop in the number of strokes. Blood Pressure UK is urging the local public, regardless of age, to check their blood pressure as part of Know Your Numbers! Week.

Unhealthy lifestyles and poor diet contributing to more young people in their 30s, 40s and 50s being diagnosed with hypertension, around 1 in 3 people in the UK are now living with high blood pressure (the single biggest cause of death) – with 6.5m people still remaining undiagnosed.

Between 2008 and 2016, around five per cent of all deaths in working-age men were due to a stroke and 2 per cent in women.

In September this year alone, around 15,000 people in the UK will die from a heart attack or stroke. A quarter of these will be people under 75, that’s 125 people every day and most of these could have been prevented.

A further 125 people a day will have a heart attack or stroke and survive, half of whom will have life changing disabilities. 

Key risk factors for developing high blood pressure are eating too much salt, not having enough fruit and vegetables, being overweight and not taking enough exercise.

Councillor Kamaljit Kaur, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Health Services and Public Health, Hounslow Council, said: “Our message is take charge of their health and get your blood pressure checked for free.

“Blood pressure is one of the most preventable and treatable conditions but remains one of the leading causes of death.

“We want to ensure that residents have every opportunity to have health checks such as this easily so they can take the necessary steps to reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack or heart failure.”

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