'However, I did book an appointment to see a GP. 'When I came round, people were talking about calling an ambulance, but I refused. Throughout the journey I kept saying, 'I don't feel well', then everything went black and I collapsed. She says: 'Coming home from work one day with a colleague, the train was packed – it was standing room only. She is married with three grown-up children and five grandchildren. The top number (called systolic pressure) is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body while the bottom number (diastolic pressure) is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels.īettina Wallace, 69, tells people how important it is to go to the GP for their annual health checkīettina Wallace, 69, is a retired civil servant who lives in Nottingham. WHAT HAPPENS DURING A TEST?Ī cuff is usually placed around your arm (sometimes your wrist) and inflated until two numbers appear on the machine. If you sleep badly or have a relative with high blood pressure, that also increases your chances, so it's worth getting tested at least every five years if you're over 40. Smokers, drinkers, the over-65s and those of black African or Caribbean descent are also more likely to be at risk. While anyone can have high blood pressure, you're more likely to if you're overweight, eat too much salt and not enough fruit and veg, or you don't get enough exercise. In fact, almost half of all deaths from CVD and around 40 per cent of all associated illnesses in this country are due to high blood pressure. And while it can be caused by obesity, dietary factors, smoking and high cholesterol, the most serious risk factor is high blood pressure (hypertension).

It's most common in men, older people and those from ethnic minority backgrounds. It can also be associated with damage to arteries in organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys and eyes. It's usually associated with a build up of fatty deposits inside the arteries and an increased risk of blood clots. Cardiovascular disease is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels.

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