7 Oct 2009

Warning more people at risk of high blood pressure

11:28 am on 7 October 2009

The Stroke Foundation is warning a far greater number of people may be at risk of high blood pressure than previously thought.

Last month the Stroke Foundation, St John Ambulance and the Lions Foundation offered free blood pressure checks at more than 100 supermarkets around New Zealand.

Almost half of the 12,000 people tested were recorded as having above normal blood pressure.

The foundation says high blood pressure can cause many health problems and there is absolutely no way of people knowing what their blood pressure is, unless they get it checked.