Kildare men urged to monitor their blood pressure

More than 600 Kildare people had their blood pressure tested by the Irish Heart Foundation in the past year.

When the charity’s Mobile Health Unit visited the county, 289 men and 334 women had free checks.

And following their nationwide campaign, Irish Heart is appealing to men in particular to get their blood pressure checked.

The plea follows findings from a national survey which showed a greater prevalence of high blood pressure in men – the silent risk factor for stroke and heart attack.

They found that 41% of participants nationally were found to have high blood pressure, with half of the men (51%) surveyed having high blood pressure, compared with just one third (33%) of women surveyed.

The sample survey also found that of those participants who had their blood pressure checked and who were then advised by Irish Heart Nurses to follow up with their GP, men were more reluctant to visit their GP compared to women.

In follow-up calls six weeks after the initial test only 42% of men reported as having gone to their GP compared with 54% of women.

Marese Damery, Health Check Manager, Irish Heart noted that  "on a positive note, our survey showed that 43% of men reported making lifestyle changes as a result of the health check and were contemplating quitting smoking, reducing their alcohol intake or reviewing their diet."

“People already diagnosed with high blood pressure are also being encouraged to visit the free Mobile Health Unit service following findings from the survey that showed 63% of people who attended the unit, and who knew they had a history of high blood pressure, still tested high. According to Irish Heart, it is important to continue having regular checks with a doctor to ensure blood pressure is well managed. A normal blood pressure reading is 120 over 80.”

 Read more: Irish Heart Foundation mobile rolls into Kildare