Dr Amir Khan Urges Over-40s to Buy Blood Pressure Monitors as 135/85 Marks High Readings
Updated
Updated · The Mirror · Jul 14
Dr Amir Khan Urges Over-40s to Buy Blood Pressure Monitors as 135/85 Marks High Readings
1 articles · Updated · The Mirror · Jul 14
Summary
Dr Amir Khan told everyone over 40 to get a home blood pressure monitor, saying early detection of high blood pressure can “prevent years of damage” even when people feel well.
135/85 mmHg or above on average over several days counts as high for home readings, he said, while ideal is below 120/80 and normal is below 135/85.
Seven days of checks — two readings a minute apart, morning and evening, ignoring the first and averaging the rest — give the measure used in general practice.
High blood pressure often shows no symptoms but can quietly raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, eye disease, heart failure and dementia.
NHS guidance says many pharmacies in England offer free blood pressure checks for people aged 40 or over, unless they already have hypertension or were checked in the past six months.