Know Your Numbers week (8 – 14 September) is a national campaign that encourages people to check their blood pressure and take steps to manage it. In Dorset, people are being urged to sign up to BP@Home, a free app-based service that allows users to monitor their blood pressure at home and share readings directly with their clinical team.
High blood pressure is estimated to affect over 200,000 people in Dorset and many people are not aware they are living with it. Without regular testing, it can go unnoticed, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other serious conditions.
The only way to find out if your blood pressure (also called hypertension) is high is to have your blood pressure checked. Once you have checked your blood pressure, you can check out what the results might mean for you by using the NHS blood pressure checker. If you do have high blood pressure, the good news is that it can be prevented and treated.
Since launching in 2021, BP@Home has supported nearly 4,000 local people to lower their blood pressure, reducing their risk of stroke and heart failure by 23 percent within six months.
Blood pressure checks are available in local pharmacies, some GP surgeries and at pop-up community events. You can also test yourself at home; it is easy and fairly cheap to buy a home blood pressure monitor. If you don’t know your numbers, now is the time to check.
Take control of your health. Visit staywelldorset.nhs.uk/bpathome to learn more and register for the free BP@Home app.
