Call for high blood pressure task force in Scotland

Urgent calls have been made for the Scottish government to set up a high blood pressure task force.

A cross-party group on heart disease wants tackling the condition to become a priority.

It claims the "silent killer" affects up to 1.3 million Scots, many of whom are unaware they have it.

High blood pressure can be a major risk factor when it comes to heart attacks and strokes, which cost the NHS in Scotland an estimated £800m each year.

A new report - Beating High Blood Pressure: Scotland's Silent Killer - follows an inquiry into high blood pressure, consulting both people living with the condition and healthcare professionals.

It calls on the Scottish government to take a more co-ordinated approach to tackling high blood pressure, its causes and its impact on Scotland's health by creating the task force.

Prof David Webb says one in three adults in Scotland have high blood pressure but many are unaware

The group behind it is made up of MSPs, clinicians, patients and third sector organisations, including British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland, Stroke Association and Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.

A co-ordinated approach to tackling high blood pressure was adopted in Canada in the late 1990s, and had a significant positive impact, according to the study.

It is estimated that optimally treating adults diagnosed with high blood pressure in Scotland could avoid nearly 300 strokes and 200 heart attacks every year.

'Real results'

Scotland's public health minister, Joe FitzPatrick, said: "The decrease in mortality rates and in the number of new cases of coronary heart disease over the last 10 years shows that our strategy for tackling heart disease is delivering real results.

"We are also focused on addressing the underlying issues, such as high blood pressure, that can lead to health problems.

"We are also leading the way in the UK with innovative public health policies supporting people to eat more healthily, be more active, stop smoking, and drink sensibly, helping them live longer and healthier lives. We will fully consider the report recommendations."

Cross-party group co-convenor Colin Smyth MSP said: "It is vital that we take action to better prevent, detect and treat high blood pressure and support people across Scotland to self-manage their condition."

Prof David Webb, a hypertension expert from the University of Edinburgh, added: "One in three adults will have high blood pressure in Scotland but probably less than half of those will know it.

"They don't know it because it doesn't cause any symptoms and you wouldn't know unless it was measured.

"So this report makes it clear that we should be measuring blood pressure in everyone when we get the opportunity."

'My life changed forever'

Alan Flynn had a stroke at the age of 59

Former IT project manager Alan Flynn, from West Lothian, had a stroke in 2016 at the age of 59, after being diagnosed with high blood pressure.

He said: "I was diagnosed with high blood pressure five years ago. I was given great advice on how to improve my health and lower my blood pressure, but I was too focused on my busy, demanding life and I did nothing about it.

"Two years later, I had a stroke and my life changed forever.

"I feel passionate about the number of people out there whose lives and well-being are at risk due to high blood pressure and they probably aren't even aware of it.

"This report is a great start on the road to helping people to take control of their own health and to avoid the serious consequences of high blood pressure."