If you’re relatively healthy, keeping track of your blood pressure probably isn’t top of your to-do list. We have so much health-related information at our fingertips that it can be easy to get carried away with the more ‘exciting’ stuff: increasing your VO2 max or tracking your daily step count, for example. 

But keeping tabs on where your blood pressure’s at is incredibly important. Currently, it’s estimated that up to 4.2 million people in England could be living with undiagnosed high blood pressure, due to the fact that only one in 14 cases are symptomatic. It’s why the NHS has launched a new campaign called Get Your Blood Pressure Checked, which urges those aged 40 years and over to get a free blood pressure test at participating pharmacies.

While high blood pressure – also known as hypertension – may be more common among people over 65, there are plenty of non-age-dependent factors that can influence blood pressure too, so it’s important to be aware of what’s going on with yours.

That doesn’t mean you need to start panicking – if you’re relatively fit and eat a nutritious, balanced diet (at least most of the time), it’s likely your blood pressure is a-OK. However, the only guaranteed way to know that is by having your blood pressure measured.

That raises the question: should we all be checking our blood pressure regularly? And if so, how often should we be doing it? And how? We asked Louise Wright, physiology national lead at Nuffield Health, to give us the lowdown.  

Your blood pressure isn’t one of those health metrics you can take or leave – too high or too low blood pressure can have serious consequences for your health.

“Having a recommended and healthy blood pressure is important for the proper flow of blood from the heart to the body’s organs and tissues and can help you to work out whether your heart and blood vessels are in good health,” Wright explains.

“Many people do not know they have [high blood pressure], but it can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. Therefore, knowing your numbers and taking steps to improve your blood pressure is incredibly valuable to your health and wellbeing.” 

Understanding what makes a ‘healthy’ blood pressure measurement can be a bit confusing if you’ve never had your measurement taken before. But before we get to that, you’ll need to understand what a blood pressure machine measures.

“Blood pressure is the measurement of the force that the heart uses to pump blood around the body,” Wright says. “We want there to be enough force to send the blood around the body safely, without damaging any of the blood vessels or organs – which can happen if your blood pressure is classified as ‘high’.”

When you get your blood pressure measured, you’ll be met with two numbers: your systolic and diastolic readings. Your systolic measurement is the highest number which sits at the top of the screen and is an indicator of the pressure at which your heart forces blood out around the body. On the flipside, your diastolic measurement is the pressure of your heart when it ‘relaxes’ between beats.  

For a healthy blood pressure reading, your systolic measurement should come in around 120, while your diastolic measurement should sit somewhere near 80. You’ll usually see that kind of reading displayed as 120/80 mmHg.

According to the NHS, a blood pressure reading is considered ‘high’ when it sits above 140/90 mmHg (if your reading was taken at a pharmacy, GP surgery or clinic). If you do your own reading at home, it’s considered high over 135/85 mmHg. 

If you’re over 40, the NHS suggests that healthy adults get their blood pressure checked at least once every five years. Underneath that age, there are no strict recommendations, but Blood Pressure UK suggests getting it checked if you’re under 40 and have no idea what your current reading is.

If one or more high blood pressure risk factors apply to you, they especially recommend getting checked. These risk factors include being overweight, smoking, being of Black African or Black Carribean descent, being under high levels of stress and drinking too much alcohol or coffee.

Several health conditions can increase your risk of high blood pressure. These include diabetes, sleep apnoea and hormonal conditions such as having an over or underactive thyroid and Cushing’s disease.

Some medicines can also increase your blood pressure. The contraceptive pill is probably the most famous, but others include steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and selective serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SSNRI) antidepressants, such as venlafaxine. 

High blood pressure can lead to several concerning conditions – which is why it’s so important to get it sorted as soon as possible.

“If your blood pressure is consistently too high this can put additional strain and pressure through the blood vessels, heart and organs such as the brain, kidney and eyes,” Wright explains. “Not only this, but it increases your risk of developing health conditions such as heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.”

Other health conditions associated with high blood pressure include heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, aortic aneurysms, kidney disease and vascular dementia. 

Some people with high blood pressure also experience symptoms, including:

• Blurred vision
• Nosebleeds
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Headaches 

If you want to get your blood pressure measured, you can either access a public machine or buy your own to use at home.

The places where you can get your blood pressure measured include most pharmacies, your GP surgery, some gyms and some workplaces. Those aged 40-74 can also get it measured as part of their free NHS Health Check.

If you opt to buy your own machine, there are a few things to keep in mind, Wright says. “While it is useful for some people to have a home blood pressure monitor, it is important to note that these are not a substitute for medical visits, and you definitely must not stop or change your medications without talking to your care provider first.”

When shopping for a blood pressure monitor, you should keep these tips from The British Heart Foundation in mind. These include buying a monitor with a cuff that measures from your upper arm (as opposed to around the wrist or finger) and making sure the monitor is UK-approved. 

If you have access to your own at-home monitor, here’s how to get started.

1. Make sure you are resting with minimal distractions and stay as relaxed as possible.
2. Sit upright in a chair with your back supported by the back of the chair and both feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed.
3. Rest your arm on a surface (ideally at heart level) with your palm facing upwards. Don’t clench your first.
4. Place the cuff over your upper arm and tighten the cuff, making sure you can still fit two fingers underneath the cuff. You want the cuff to be over the upper part of your arm with the tubing leading down the centre or slightly to the right of your arm.
5. When you are ready, make sure you are relaxed and not talking, then press the start button. The machine will start inflating the cuff before slowly deflating it – until you have your reading. 

Images: Getty