More than a 8 lives could have been saved following the Rotary Club of Canterbury’s: "Know Your Blood Pressure", campaign to reduce the number deaths from a stroke.
Last Saturday (20 April), the Rotary Club of Canterbury - in partnership with The Stroke Association - undertook its annual Know Your Blood Pressure exercise to encourage local people to get their blood-pressure checked-out. Some of those who volunteered to be tested were deemed to be at risk from high blood pressure (hypertension). Raised blood-pressure is identified as being the main cause of the majority of strokes. A simple blood pressure check, taking just a few seconds, can immediately highlight a problem which can, literally, mean the difference between life and death.
Boots the Chemist in the Whitefriars, Canterbury, was the venue for Saturday’s blood pressure checks undertaken by volunteer nurses from the Chaucer Hospital in Canterbury. One hundred and forty-one (141) people took advantage of the free check-up and of that number 8 showed raised blood pressure levels and were advised to seek further advice from their GPs within a week. One person showed dangerously high blood pressure levels and was urged to seek immediate medical advice.
Commenting on the potentially life-saving free check-up, Robert Boyd-Howell, President of the Rotary Club of Canterbury, said: "Stroke is a silent killer, often occurring with little or no warning. All the evidence points to the main culprit being raised blood pressure. Today we identified 8 people with abnormally high blood pressure – and one had a seriously high level." He added: "If we have extended the lives of these people through the free blood pressure checks, the effort will have been worth it."
Canterbury’s MP, Julian Brazier called-in to show support for the day and took advantage of the free blood pressure check.
