The pressure’s on to help avoid Stroke
THE Rotary clubs of Thame and Haddenham & District will be hosting a “Know Your Blood Pressure” event at the Co-operative Supermarket, High Street in Thame on Saturday, April 5, to help raise awareness of the link between high blood pressure and stroke across the UK. The event will be taking place between 10 am and 2 pm, offering the public a free blood pressure monitoring service with information and advice on stroke related health issues.
The two Rotary Clubs are joining scores of clubs across the UK as part of the “Know Your Blood Pressure Campaign” in partnership with The Stroke Association and the Ambulance Service. It is estimated that every year there are approximately 152,000 strokes in the UK. That’s one stroke every five minutes. Most people affected are over 65, but anyone can have a stroke, including children and even babies.
Thame Rotarian, Tyrell Gillman, the event organiser said: “The Know Your Blood Pressure campaign has been supported by Rotary for over a decade. We took nearly 43,000 blood pressure readings all over UK last year and nearly 7,000 people we saw were advised to take action. These events can play a big role in reducing strokes across the country. It’s clear from our work that high blood pressure is far more common than you would think.”
Joe Korner, Director of External Affairs at the Stroke Association said: “High blood pressure does not present any symptoms and many people have no idea their health may be at risk. We estimate up to half of strokes could be prevented if people took steps to control it through diet, exercise or medication.”
“This year we are hoping to test at least 50,000 people all over the country. We hope to see many people from the Thame area at our event; it’s a simple and straightforward way to find out more about reducing your risk of having a stroke.”
To find out more about the campaign, please visit the Thame and Haddenham & District Rotary Clubs websites: www.thame.rotaryweb.org and www.haddenham-rotary.org.uk
