Member Article

Know You Blood Pressure Clinic arrives in Liverpool

One in five Liverpool residents who had their blood pressure checked at a free drop-in event were referred to a GP for further investigation after presenting high readings, with two urged to seek immediate medical attention.

Kevin O’Donnell, 56, was one of those advised to visit his GP urgently after undertaking the health check at his local Vision Express store in Clayton Square, while he was there looking for a new pair of glasses.

“I am really glad I had my blood pressure reviewed as I had a high reading, which I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t taken the time to check today,” he said. “I’m going to make an appointment to see my GP as soon as possible.”

Another local resident who was advised to seek further medical advice was 28-year-old tattoo artist, Ryan Harris, He said: “Having my blood pressure taken isn’t something I would ever normally think about but seeing the ‘F.A.S.T.’ sign in Vision Express made me think.

“I found out I need to go and see my GP, which is something I wouldn’t have known to do, so I’m glad I’m now aware of it. Getting a blood pressure check is something I would push anyone to do - better to be safe than sorry.”

National statistics highlight that within the NHS Liverpool CCG, over 8,700[1] people are stroke survivors, a figure that represents 1.73%[2] of the local population.

The Liverpool Know Your Blood Pressure drop-in is the latest in a series of UK-wide events hosted by Vision Express, as part of an award-winning partnership with the Stroke Association. They aim to highlight hypertension – also known as high blood pressure, as a contributing factor in around half[3] of all strokes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

During the event, Stroke Association ambassador, Linda Cheveau and Stroke Recovery Coordinator for the charity, Adam O’Neill, who have eight years of combined experience volunteering at Know Your Blood Pressure drop ins, were on hand to perform the potentially life-saving health check.

A stroke survivor herself, Linda uses her experience of the condition to help improve the confidence of others affected by it to aid their recovery, teaching skills to better enable them to communicate effectively. “My grandmother sadly passed away following a stroke in 1983 and I had two strokes myself a year later, when I was just 35 years old,” Linda explained.

“I needed lots of support. I lost my speech and had memory loss. I had to learn to speak, how to read, how to tell the time, all over again. I also had two young children at the time – aged five and ten.”

It took Linda over two years to fully recover from her strokes. She has now been a volunteer with the Stroke Association for seven years, and currently works with the Liverpool Communication support group.

Adam, a Stroke Recovery Coordinator for the Liverpool team, is passionate about raising awareness about prevention of the condition due to family history and personal experience. “My father had a number of strokes when he was around 46 years old and he sadly passed away,” Adam explained.

“I also used to own a pub with my wife but the long days and nights, plus the easy access to alcohol and food, resulted in me having a heart attack. At that point I knew my lifestyle had to change.”

9.5 million people, or one in seven, in the UK are diagnosed with high blood pressure. For every 10 people diagnosed, seven remain undiagnosed and untreated – accounting for more than 5.5 million people in England alone. Although there are a greater number of stroke related deaths in women (23,000 in the UK in 2015[4]) men are at higher risk of having a stroke at a younger age.

Louise Lawless, Community and Events Fundraising Manager for the Stroke Association, says: “A simple and painless test could prevent a devastating stroke. Too few people are aware just how serious stroke is – it is the UK’s fourth biggest killer.

“It’s vital that everyone knows what their blood pressure level should be and has regular checks.”

Did you know?

There are over 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK The average age of stroke has decreased in recent years. People are now most likely to have a stroke over the age of 55. Stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer and twice as many men than prostate and testicular cancer combined, each year Up to 60% of people will experience visual problems following a stroke, yet one in three are unaware that sight loss could be a problem or that treatment and support is available For every stroke avoided the NHS saves £23,000, not including the vast social care costs and the effect on the economy from people needing to stop work

Know Your Blood Pressure events are taking place at selected Vision Express stores nationwide.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Vision Express .