Men more at risk of high blood pressure but slow to act

Two in five people who availed of free blood pressure checks at pop-up mobile clinics around the country were found to have high blood pressure — putting them at risk of heart attack and stroke.

The initiative, run by the Irish Heart Foundation, has just marked a year in operation in shopping centres, community centres, car parks and other public places where trained nursing staff encourage passers-by to take a minute to check their pressure.

More than 11,000 participants were tested and out of a sample survey of 268, 41% were found to have high blood pressure, many of them having no idea they had what is often called the silent risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.