A 'silent killer' condition is lurking undetected in nearly one-third of UK adults, with many blissfully unaware of its presence. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common yet often symptomless foe that can lead to serious health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and even dementia. The NHS highlights that on rare occasions, symptoms like headaches, blurred vision, and chest pain may manifest, but these are not reliable indicators.
The only sure-fire way to know if you're affected is through regular checks either at home or by a healthcare professional. Understanding blood pressure readings can be daunting without medical expertise, but GP Dr Martin McKee took to TikTok to demystify the numbers for the layperson. "I've been getting lots and lots of questions about the numbers when it comes to blood pressure.
"So let's explain the numbers to clarify the muddy waters a little bit." He explained: "When you're taking blood pressure, there are two numbers. The top number is the systolic number – that is the blood pressure when your heart is actively pumping.
And the bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure [...
] in the blood vessels when the heart is relaxing and filling up. "So the textbook tells you that perfect blood pressure is 120/80. When we're looking for high blood pressure in the clinic, we are concerned if we're getting numbers 140/90, because we appreciate that when people are in the GP surgery, the blood pressure may be a little.