May measurement and world hypertension day toolkit

Hypertension – often called high blood pressure – increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Early detection and treatment can help people live longer, healthier lives.

May Measurement Month (MMM) is an annual global screening campaign initiated by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH), which comes in the same month as World Hypertension Day, a World Hypertension League coordinated awareness day which is held on 17 May each year.

The Sussex Health and Care Partnership is supporting NHS England and Improvement South East and the NHS Community Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check Service to bring you this toolkit of resources.

We are raising awareness of the risks of high blood pressure throughout May Measurement Month and on World Hypertension Day, 17 May, to encourage people to get their blood pressure checked regularly. We have pulled together a range of resources to encourage people to ‘know their numbers’ to prevent heart attacks and stroke.

• High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and significantly increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Early detection and treatment can help people live longer, healthier lives.
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the second most common cause of premature death in England, after cancer, affecting seven million people. One in four premature deaths are caused by CVD and it is and a leading cause of disability.
• Community pharmacies across England offer blood pressure checks to people over 40, as an easy and convenient way for people to ‘know their numbers’. The service can be offered opportunistically by pharmacists or requested by their customers.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and significantly increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Early detection and treatment can help people live longer, healthier lives.

Community pharmacies across England now offer an NHS blood pressure check service to people over 40, as an easy and convenient way for people to ‘know their numbers’. If anyone receives a confirmed high blood pressure reading, the pharmacist can follow up with continuous ambulatory monitoring over a 24-hour period and urgently refer them for further treatment. All blood pressure readings are sent to the patient’s GP from the community pharmacy, so records can be updated, and appropriate action taken. GPs can also refer patients to go to their community pharmacy to get their blood pressure checked.