One You Merton is urging local residents to get their blood pressure checked for FREE as part of Know Your Numbers! Week.

Merton’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, Cllr Tobin Byers and London Fire Brigade’s Merton Borough Commander Darren Tulley having their blood pressure checked at Mitcham fire station with health advisers from One You Merton.

The UK’s biggest free blood pressure testing event held at ‘Pressure Stations’ around the country from  Monday 10 to Sunday 16 September 2018.

Trained health advisors hosting the Pressure Stations from One You Merton will provide information and advice on simple steps to keep blood pressure under control and will measure your blood pressure accurately.

This comes as charity, Blood Pressure UK cautions that ignoring health warnings, particularly about poor diet and excess 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, especially when they don’t know their blood pressure numbers.

With 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 6.5 million people still remaining undiagnosed.

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

Kulvinder Jhita, Service Manager for One You Merton says: “High blood pressure is one of the most preventable and treatable conditions but remains one of the leading causes of death & disability due to the strokes, heart attacks and heart disease it causes. As an individual having your blood pressure checked is the most important step that you can take to reduce your risk of stroke, heart attack or heart failure. Make sure you visit us at one of our Pressure Stations during Know Your Numbers! Week and get your blood pressure checked.”

Hemini Bharadia, Know Your Numbers! Week Campaign Manager says: “High blood pressure does not discriminate on age or gender – people are dying unnecessarily because they fail to take such simple steps to reduce their blood pressure. Know Your Numbers! Week is the perfect opportunity to have your blood pressure taken for free and put you in control of your health.”

Merton’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, Councillor Tobin Byers says: “Know your numbers week reminds us all how important it is to regularly check our blood pressure. Frequent checks could help spot other health problems and is quick, easy, and painless. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the free blood pressure stations during the week and the check points available across the borough in places such as GP surgeries and pharmacies.”

One You Merton is offering free blood pressure checks at:

For further information on Blood Pressure UK and Know Your Numbers! Week, go to: www.bloodpressureuk.org/microsites/kyn/Home/AboutKYN 

The dates and times above can also be found on the One You Merton Twitter and Facebook pages by following @OneYouMerton

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