We offered free blood
pressure checks to Londoners across the capital on Saturday
17 April to raise their awareness of stroke.
We ran 19 health fairs where staff were
offered free blood pressure and pulse rate checks, basic lifestyle
advice, and provided information about how to recognise a stroke using a simple
test.
The Stroke Association, which worked with us on the
initiative, says that around 40 per cent of all strokes could be
prevented if people with undiagnosed high blood pressure were
identified and treated.
Since February 2011, eight specialist
stroke centres have been operating around the clock in London.
Patients who are taken there will receive quick access to a
specialist scan and expert treatment, which will increase their
chance of survival and cut the risk of long-term disability.
Stroke facts
- A stroke is a brain attack which happens when
the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off
- High blood pressure is the single biggest
risk factor for stroke
- Stroke is the third leading cause of death
and the largest single cause of disability in England
- Somebody in the UK has a stroke every five
minutes
- Stroke is more common in men than women – but
more women who have strokes die from them compared to men
- The brain ages 3.6 years and loses 120m cells
for every hour a stroke is left untreated