Lifestyle changes will help reduce blood pressure

* I had a chest infection recently and visited my GP. He measured my blood pressure, it was 145/95.

This surprised me as I exercise regularly, eat healthily and watch my weight. He has advised me to come back next week for ambulatory blood-pressure monitoring. There is a family history of heart disease — does high blood pressure increase my risk? I am a 50-year-old male.

>>Half of adults in Ireland over 45 years of age have high blood pressure (hypertension). It often has no symptoms and a diagnosis can be a surprise. A worrying condition, it can increase your chances of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney problems.