Blood pressure

Monitor your Blood Pressure at Home

The best way to monitor your blood pressure is taking some reading at home. These readings are often the most accurate, better than those taken at the surgery and more reflective of your real blood pressure. If you do not have a machine consider purchasing one from your online, local supermarket or pharmacy.

High blood pressure invariably has no symptoms but if left untreated can cause heart attacks and strokes. 25% of adults have it and do not know it.

What is Hypertension

Blood pressure is measured by two numbers; the systolic pressure (top number) is the pressure at which your heart pumps blood around your body, whilst the diastolic pressure (bottom number) is the pressure within your vessels when the heart is relaxed. As a general rule:

  • if you are just hypertensive we aim for 140/90

  • if you suffer from diabetes we aim for 140/80