Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries as the heart pumps it around the body. It is important to have your blood pressure checked regularly by a doctor or health professional as there are often no symptoms or signs of high blood pressure—you can have high blood pressure and still feel well.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure (also known as 'hypertension') can lead to serious health problems, such as:

• heart attack
• stroke
• heart failure or
• kidney disease.

The following factors increase the risks of serious health problems associated with high blood pressure:

• smoking
• having high blood cholesterol
• being overweight
• having diabetes.

To find out if your blood pressure is high, it is important you have regular blood pressure checks by a health professional like your doctor.

You can find out more information about high blood pressure from your local pharmacy.