World Hypertension Day might sound like an intensely stressful day, which causes high blood pressure, but it is in fact an educational event, designed to prevent instances of hypertension.
Created by the World Hypertension League in 2005, the day is intended to increase awareness of the condition and issues surrounding it. Awareness of hypertension is considered to be vitally important, due to the number of deaths linked with associated heart attacks, kidney disease and strokes. There is also a perceived lack of awareness about hypertension amongst the general public, which the WHL hopes to change.
The day generally takes on a specific theme. For example, in the past, one of the themes was ‘Healthy diet, healthy blood pressure’, which aimed to improve people’s understanding of how poor diets can contribute towards high blood pressure and how a more healthy diet can help to rectify the problem.
So join in, test your blood pressure, learn about hypertension and stay healthy.