8 January 2008

The BPA welcomes the focus that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has placed on improving the prevention and management of hypertension, as part of NHS reforms designed to tackle the increasing problems of "lifestyle diseases" and an ageing population.

The Prime Minister said that measures to improve the prevention of chronic and long-term diseases would include screening for heart and kidney disease, strokes and diabetes.

Given that high blood pressure is the biggest cause of heart disease and stroke, the BPA believes that screening is crucial to detect this symptomless condition.

As a charity which provides practical information for people with high blood pressure to enable them to take control of their condition, we were pleased to see that the Prime Minister highlighted that the NHS will do more to help patients with self management and encourage them to lead more healthy lifestyles.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Blood Pressure Association is the UK’s leading blood pressure charity which provides information and support to people with high blood pressure and also raises awareness about the prevention of the condition..
High blood pressure is the major cause of strokes and heart attacks, the biggest causes of death and disability in the UK.