Know Your Numbers! Week highlights

Know Your Numbers! Week reaches thousands of people every year.  

Previously, hundreds of organisations took part, setting up Pressure Stations in public places across the UK. From hospitals and health centres to offices, car parks, and supermarkets. Even the Royal Albert Hall. Today, the Know Your Numbers! Week focus is on home blood pressure monitoring, as it's the easiest way to find out your blood pressure numbers. 

Take a look at the highlights.

2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007  

2024 - You Have the Power.

Know Your Numbers! Week 2024 took on high blood pressure by encouraging you that 'You have the Power' to successfully manage your blood pressure at home.

This September, we encouraged all UK adults to Know Their Numbers! to prevent heart attacks and strokes. We took to the airwaves with interviews to encourage all adults to start measuring their blood pressure at home, as it’s the easiest way to find out your blood pressure numbers and make healthy changes to their lifestyle, and we took to some streets with blood pressure checks.

High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other diseases but it usually has no symptoms, which is why every year our awareness-raising campaign highlights why it’s so important to get a check.

The theme was You Have the Power.

With the everyday pressures of life, we know that understanding why it’s important to know your blood pressure numbers and taking the time to get them measured isn’t always a priority. However, did you know that getting a blood pressure check is the first step to preventing heart attacks and strokes? High blood pressure is a major cause of these diseases but usually has no symptoms until it’s too late, which is why it’s known as ‘the silent killer’. Knowing your numbers means you can start making healthy lifestyle changes or start taking medicines if you need them to bring your blood pressure down to a healthy level. So, the power is in your hands to check your blood pressure to see if it’s under control.

Your blood pressure is very important no matter your age. High blood pressure is not simply a part of growing old. You have the power to successfully manage your blood pressure no matter how old you are - but you have to know your numbers first. Get checked to beat ‘the silent killer’ before damage is done.

Nearly 4 million adults could be living with undiagnosed high blood pressure.

Our recent opinion poll [1] showed that:

• • Just under 4 million adults living in the UK aged 18-64 could be living daily with undiagnosed high blood pressure as one in ten of the UK population has never had their blood pressure checked.
  • Given salt intake is a major cause of high blood pressure. One in five Brits (20%) surveyed is consuming nearly double (11.8g) the NHS’s recommended amount of salt (6g) in their diet.
  • Despite nearly (87.5%) of the population knowing that salt intake affects blood pressure, over two-fifths (42.5%) of Brits have never made any changes to their diet to reduce salt intake.
  • Furthermore, whilst nearly 65% of the population claim to be confident in their ability to identify foods high in salt, with bacon and ham being ranked in the poll as the saltiest category (42.3%), respondents were less knowledgeable about how salty cheese is (5.4%).

As a nation, if we cut one gram of salt from our average daily salt intake, this would cause a fall in blood pressure and there would be approximately 4,000 fewer premature deaths from strokes and heart attacks each year in the UK.

Hemini Bharadia, Marketing Manager for Blood Pressure UK explains:

"High blood pressure is largely symptomless and the single biggest preventable cause of death in the UK, but the more people that test themselves, ideally with a home blood pressure monitor, the more chance they have of controlling it. Having your blood pressure checked at home, at your local pharmacy or GP is a cost-effective and reliable method to manage blood pressure, with growing evidence supporting its benefits. You have the power.”

The press got behind the campaign

Our press release and opinion poll made lots of headlines in national and regional news. Our Chair Dr. Pauline Swift gave several interviews with some highlights of the coverage below:

Home monitoring

Know Your Numbers! Week is now primarily an online campaign with a focus on the importance of measuring your blood pressure at home. We sent our home monitoring resources to all registered participants of Know Your Numbers! Week and many showed their support online. It was great to see how people were encouraged to measure at home.

While the campaign is now online, some events took place during the week, and you can see some highlights of these below.

Acting local

Local councils, NHS Integrated Care Systems, hospitals, businesses, and universities spread the word online and many libraries and GP surgeries offered and encouraged self-monitoring BP testing, while some hospitals, councils, and businesses organised stands offering free blood pressure checks in person.

X (formerly Twitter)

It was fantastic to see so many people online engaging about blood pressure and knowing your numbers.

Some of our Pressure Partners in 2024 included Avanti West Coast, Boots, B&M Stores, The British Army, Department of Work and Pensions, Hilton Hotels, Mitie, Natural England, NHS England, Holly Health, Uniquely Health Taylor Wimpey, Royal Mail, Scarborough Athletic FC, Stroke Association, and Tesco.

Many health professionals across the UK also tweeted messages of support and videos to support the campaign.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part! 

The research was conducted by Censuswide with 2000 UK Respondents (Nat Rep) between 12.06.2024 - 14.06.2024. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.

2023 - Make the time, ease your pressure.

Know Your Numbers! Week takes on high blood pressure in 2023 by encouraging you to make the time to ease your pressure.

This September, we encouraged all UK adults to Know Their Numbers! to prevent heart attacks and strokes. We took to the streets with blood pressure checks and to the airwaves with interviews to encourage all adults to start measuring their blood pressure at home, as it’s the easiest way to find out your blood pressure numbers and make healthy changes to their lifestyle. 

High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other diseases but it usually has no symptoms, which is why every year our awareness-raising campaign highlights why it’s so important to get a check.

The theme was Make the time, ease your pressure.

With the everyday pressures of life, we know that understanding why it’s important to know your blood pressure numbers and taking the time to get them measured isn’t always a priority. However, did you know that getting a blood pressure check is the first step to preventing heart attacks and strokes? High blood pressure is a major cause of these diseases but usually has no symptoms until it’s too late, which is why it’s known as ‘the silent killer’. Knowing your numbers means you can start making healthy lifestyle changes or start taking medicines if you need them to bring your blood pressure down to a healthy level. So, it’s essential to make the time to check your blood pressure to see if it’s under control.

It’s never too early OR too late to start checking your blood pressure. Your blood pressure is very important no matter your age. High blood pressure is not simply a part of growing old. You can take steps to know your numbers and lower it if it’s high no matter how old you are.

Nearly two-thirds of people aged 30-50 could be living with undiagnosed high blood pressure!

Our recent opinion poll [1] showed that:

• A massive 63% of UK adults aged between 30–50 don't know their current blood pressure numbers and could be living daily with undiagnosed blood pressure – increasing their chances of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure which, ironically, are amongst their most feared health conditions (i.e. heart attacks, 31% and stroke, 24%)…
• …72% of respondents agree that blood pressure is not only a concern for older people (i.e., those over the age of 50+).
• and 68% agree that knowing their blood pressure numbers is important whilst two-thirds (66%) of those surveyed claim to understand that persistently high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack.

Hemini Bharadia, Marketing Manager for Blood Pressure UK explains: "We encourage the public to make the time to control their health and get their blood pressure checked ideally via home blood pressure monitoring or at their local pharmacy or GP. Home blood pressure monitoring is an effective and inexpensive way to manage your blood pressure and the evidence behind it continues to get stronger.”

The blood pressure roadshow continued for 2023!

For the second time, Know Your Numbers! Week brought free blood pressure checks to the high street with the blood pressure roadshow, organised by Kinetik Wellbeing in part association with Blood Pressure UK. Thousands of people came out for a check in Leeds, Manchester, and London – and many felt grateful to have somewhere to go for a check while it’s harder to see the GP.  Also, new for 2023 and launched in September, check out Kinetik Wellbeing’s new digital service, http://mybloodpressure.co.uk, which gives you the tools to understand and manage your blood pressure effectively.

Acting local

Local councils, NHS Integrated Care Systems, hospitals, libraries and universities spread the word online while some hospitals and councils organised stands offering free blood pressure checks in person. This included One Bromley Local Care Partnership, which is part of the South East London Integrated Care System. Their campaign in support of Know Your Numbers! Week 2023 was a great initiative and showed immense dedication. They even wrote a fantastic poem on blood pressure, which we thought was very creative.

Home monitoring

Know Your Numbers! Week is now primarily an online campaign with a focus on the importance of measuring your blood pressure at home. We sent our home monitoring resources to all registered participants of Know Your Numbers! Week and many showed their support online by sharing images of their numbers after checking their blood pressure at home. It was great to see how people were encouraged to measure at home.

Twitter was exceptionally busy this year

For the first time since 2020, our hashtag #KnowYourNumbers trended on Twitter again. Prior to 2020, we trended on Twitter each year since 2016. This year, we even trended for three consecutive days. It was amazing to see our campaign trending again and shows how many people online were engaging about blood pressure and knowing your numbers, which was wonderful!

NHS England, NHS UK, and the Department of Health and Social Care all got busy on Twitter, with further support from charities, public figures, and health bodies across the UK, including Scarborough Athletic FC, East of England Ambulance Service, Yorkshire Ambulance, The Stroke Association, BHF, Drinkaware, The International Society of Hypertension, Royal Society for Public Health, The Race Equalities Foundation, Professor Jamie Waterall – Deputy Chief Nurse at the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities, and Dr Shahed Ahmad – NHS England and NHS Improvement Medical Director in the South East.

LloydsDirect also set up blood pressure stations in their offices to encourage colleagues to take the time and get tested. The event was hugely successful, and employees loved the opportunity to get tested and find out more about their heart health. 

Lots of health professionals across the UK also tweeted messages of support and videos to support the campaign.

The press got behind the campaign

We made lots of headlines in national and regional news with coverage in the Times, the Daily Express, The Daily Mirror online, The Sun online, Belfast Live, The Daily Record in Scotland, Wales online, BBC Morning Live TV, and 149 regional news providers. Our Trustee Pauline Swift and CEO Phil Pyatt gave interviews for BBC Radio in Derby, Coventry and Warwickshire, West Midlands, Sheffield, Leeds, Radio Norwich, 3 Counties, and UK Health Radio.

[1] The research was conducted by Censuswide of 1,008 people aged 30 to 50yrs in the UK between 18.07.23 to 21.07 23. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council

2022 - Measure. Modify. Manage.

Know Your Numbers! Week takes on high blood pressure in 2022

This September, we encouraged all UK adults to Know Their Numbers! to prevent heart attacks and strokes. We took to the streets with blood pressure checks and to the airwaves with interviews to encourage all adults to start measuring their blood pressure at home and making healthy changes to their lifestyle.  

High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other diseases but it usually has no symptoms, which is why every year our awareness-raising campaign highlights why it’s so important to get a check. 

The theme was Measure. Modify. Manage:

• Measure your blood pressure – Home monitoring is an easy and reliable way to Know Your Numbers! without a trip to the GP.  
• Modify your lifestyle – Eating less salt is one of the simplest ways to lower your blood pressure and cutting out just one gram a day on average would mean 6,000 fewer deaths from strokes and heart attacks each year in the UK.
• Manage your health – Keeping an eye on your numbers, making changes to your lifestyle and taking blood pressure medicines if you need to will help you stay healthy for life. 
  
  

Over half of Brits don’t Know Their Numbers!
Our recent opinion poll[1] showed that:

• whilst nearly half (45%) of UK adults have had their blood pressure checked in the last year…
• …over half (56%) don’t know their blood pressure numbers and could be living with undiagnosed high blood pressure
• and 34% think knowing their blood pressure numbers is not important.

Hemini Bharadia, Marketing Manager for Blood Pressure UK explains: "Home blood pressure monitoring is an effective and inexpensive way to manage your blood pressure and the evidence behind it continues to get stronger. It takes the pressure off the NHS at the same time, and it really can save lives.”
 

New for 2022: The blood pressure road show! 
For the first time, Know Your Numbers! week brought free blood pressure checks to the high street with the blood pressure roadshow, organised by Kinetik Wellbeing in part association with Blood Pressure UK. Thousands of people came out for a check in five cities – Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London – and many felt grateful to have somewhere to go for a check while it’s harder to see the GP.  

Hemini Bharadia said: “A whopping 2,900 blood pressure checks were carried out during the week in the road show. That’s 2,900 more people that now Know Their Numbers!.” 

Acting local 
Local councils, NHS Integrated Care Systems, hospitals, libraries and universities spread the word online while some hospitals and councils organised stands offering free blood pressure checks in person.

From left: Councillor Rachel Massey had her blood pressure checked at Rochdale Borough Council’s stand. Parish Nursing UK organised blood pressure checks for farmers in Warwickshire leading to new diagnosed and treatment. A blood pressure stand attracted passersby on Orpington High Street.

Twitter was busy this year 
NHS London, NHS England and NHS UK all got busy on twitter, with further support from charities, public figures and health bodies across the UK, including London Ambulance, St John Ambulance, Yorkshire Ambulance, The Stroke Association, Professor Jamie Waterall – Deputy Chief Nurse at the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities, Dr Shahed Ahmad – NHS England and NHS Improvement Medical Director in the South East. 

Lots of health professionals across the UK also tweeted messages of support and videos to support the campaign.

The press got behind the campaign 
We made headlines in national and regional news with coverage in the Independent and the Daily Express and 130 regional news providers. Our Chairman Professor Graham MacGregor gave interviews for London Live TV and BBC Radio in Leeds, Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands and Sheffield.

“So much interest and so many questions”
Our Hypertension Nurse Specialist, Nirmala Markandu, offered one-to-one support at two community group events in New Maldon, South London: the Healthy Mind Community Development programme and Elders Empowering Programme. Both are attended by South Asian communities who are often harder to reach but are at higher risk of raised blood pressure. 

The groups meet weekly for exercise and activities such as quizzes, games and singing, and mingle over coffee and lunch. Nirmala had queues for blood pressure checks and to talk about blood pressure and associated illnesses such as diabetes. She found several people with blood pressure so high it needed urgent treatment – some were over 200mmHg for the top number – which could well have saved their lives, and many more with raised numbers.   

Nirmala was able to address a lot of unanswered questions: “After spending 2 hours with them I really felt like I was running a hypertension clinic in hospital again – so much interest and so many questions. The leaflets were a hit and there’s talk of a follow up session in the new year.”

The chair of the Elders Empowering Programme said “all our members thoroughly enjoyed having you and Knowing Their Numbers!” and the programme coordinator for Healthy Mind said “We were shocked to see that two had very high readings but now they are about to see their nurse/doctor to have a check-up and consultation to do something about it. We were very happy to have our questions answered and explained in Tamil as well.”

Both groups are now interested in running more events and Kingston Council have expressed an interest in involving more community groups in blood pressure awareness. 

NHS South East went above and beyond
NHS England South East has worked closely with us this year to support Know Your Numbers, giving extra regional support through its Cardio Vascular programme.

They used the theme of Measure. Modify. Manage. as the basis of a series of messages across social media, using paid adverts in Facebook and Google to give the campaign an extra push to reach people at risk in the South East.

This follows the success of their own #livingwithhypertension campaign in the Spring, encouraging people to get their blood pressure checked in a brilliant series of light hearted but informative videos from health professionals. They received over 55 000 extra visits to their campaign page with nearly 200 000 views from new viewers. They featured clinicians from different ethnic backgrounds to convey that high blood pressure disproportionately affects some communities more than others, and included specific messages for ethnic minority audiences and underserved groups. 

Dr Mohit Sharma, Consultant in public health who leads on cardiovascular disease prevention for NHS England South East told us: “High Blood pressure is one of the most common health conditions in the UK, yet most people don’t even know they may have it. The first sign could be something as serious as a heart attack or stroke.

"It is a priority for us to regain the successes in raising awareness and diagnosing those at risk from Hypertension which we achieved in the region before the pandemic.”

Read about tackling high blood pressure in the UK from Dr Mohit Sharma. 

[1] The research was conducted by Censuswide of 2,016 nationally representative sample. Between 10.08.2022-12.08.2022. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles

2021 - Are YOUR pipes in good working order?

We made this the year of home monitoring to take on the forgotten pandemic

For our 21^st Know Your Numbers! Week, we got the nation checking their blood pressure at home to take on the forgotten pandemic of high blood pressure.

Nearly 6 million people in the UK have high blood pressure and don’t know it, which is why every September we get the nation to Know Their Numbers! High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks and strokes, but these can be prevented with a simple blood pressure check and treatment if you need it.

We took the campaign online for a second year, providing the nation with the resources not only to check their blood pressure, but to get it under control. As well as keeping an eye on your blood pressure, it’s especially important to eat less salt as salt directly raises your blood pressure. 

Here’s a snapshot of some of the highlights from the week.

Our survey finds four in ten adults ignore the need to get a blood pressure check

High blood pressure is a leading cause of strokes and heart attacks, yet our new survey showed it’s not a leading cause of concern: 

• over a third (37%) of respondents stated their blood pressure is not of concern

• four in ten adults ignore the need to check their blood pressure

• almost four in ten (39%) don’t understand why they should know their blood pressure numbers

• two thirds said the pandemic has not made them want to improve their general health – despite heart disease and being overweight, along with other conditions, being a risk factor for complications of COVID-19.

This year’s poster went down a storm 

Our fabulous poster asked the question ‘Are your pipes in working order?’ and went down a storm on social media. 

Getting the word out with webinars

We hosted a series of webinars reaching people in the workplace. Katharine Jenner spoke to Public Health England, the London Metropolitan Police and an engineering company explaining why it’s important to Know Your Numbers!. She gave a demo of how to measure blood pressure at home and explained how lifestyle changes and medication can help. The talks were very well received:

“Thanks Katharine. Great info. Receiving my new monitor tomorrow!”

“Thank you, my husband has just been diagnosed with high blood pressure so this has been very helpful”

“Thank you so much. Really informative.”

Our resources help you feel confident measuring your blood pressure at home

Our home monitoring hub which we promoted throughout the week will give you the confidence to measure your blood pressure at home. It includes a simple guide to how to measure your blood pressure, a video showing you how to accurately measure your blood pressure at home and a record card to show your GP.

We explain why knowing your numbers is so important

Our Chairman Professor Graham MacGregor, new CEO Phil Pyatt and Marketing Manager Hemini Bharadia explain why it’s so important to get a diagnosis and treatment early in our press release.

We reached thousands on social media

We had lots of activity on twitter and Facebook with health professionals, researchers and politicians alike getting involved, as well as those who simply want to Know Their Numbers!

GPs and pharmacists shared the message and put out videos, we had support from NHS England and local councils, NHS Trusts and CCGs, and health charities BHF, the Stroke Association and May Measurement Month got on board.

We had support from high-profile decision-makers

We had support from Professor Jamie Waterall, National Lead for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at PHE, and Dr Shahed Ahmed, National Clinical Director for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at NHS England.  

Reducing the burden of high blood pressure is a key part of PHE’s 10-year national ambitions to prevent diseases of the heart and blood vessels, aiming to prevent 150,000 heart attacks and strokes over the next 10 years.

We made a splash in the media

i news featured Blood Pressure UK supporter and hero Steve Rebus who was left blind due to complications of high blood pressure, and now checks his blood pressure regularly – as well as everyone around him.

BBC morning live featured Dr Xand Van Tulleken talking about the Know Your Numbers! Week campaign. He gave a very helpful explanation of the things that raise your blood pressure in the short term and long term, when to measure you blood pressure, and what a normal reading looks like.

The Times epaper explained why “Ignoring blood pressure checks is a silent killer”.

Volunteers measured blood pressures in the community

While the campaign was mainly online, some pop-up Pressure Stations went ahead safely, offering free blood pressure checks in the community.

Thank you

We want to say a huge thank you to all that have taken part, whether to share the message or if you checked your blood pressure at home.

2020 - YOU are in control

This year’s Know Your Numbers! Week was a little different to usual, and we got the nation checking their blood pressure at home

Know Your Numbers! Week encourages all adults in the UK to find out their blood pressure numbers. With free blood pressure checks in public places not possible this year, our annual campaign went virtual. It was a first for all involved and we’re very pleased to let you know that it was a great success.

Individuals and health organisations spread our simple message among their friends, followers and communities: YOU are in control. By buying or borrowing a home blood pressure monitor, you can Know Your Numbers! at home and take control of your health.

Thank you to all who took part, we couldn’t have done it without you.

We called for home monitors on prescription

Price is still a barrier for many people being able to access a home blood pressure monitor, so we called for home monitors to be made available on prescription to those most vulnerable in society. We wrote to Secretary of State for health Matt Hancock and eagerly await his response.

Our Chairman Professor Graham MacGregor CBE said: “As an individual, having your blood pressure checked is the most important step that you can take to reduce your risk of stroke, heart attack or heart failure. This is why we are calling for home monitors to be available to those most in need on prescription, especially at a time when appointments with GPs and nurses are restricted, which may prolong getting your blood pressure checked”.

We ran a poll on twitter which showed 89.7% of responders agreed that home monitors should be made available on prescription.

We made headlines with our message

Our campaign featured in The Guardian, The Telegraph, Express and The Metro, People’s Friend, Nursing Today and top online media outlets, as well as a brief appearance on Sky News and local radio stations.

We had tremendous support online

Our campaign was very popular on social media, trending on twitter for the fourth year in a row with the hashtag #KnowYourNumbers, and the tweets were seen over 92,000 times. We ran a twitter poll which showed that 77.8% were encouraged to check their blood pressure at the end of Know Your Numbers! Week. 

We had online support from individuals, our ‘Pressure Partners’, health professionals, GP surgeries, pharmacies, gyms, care homes, local councils, libraries and construction organisations to name a few. Plus, support from NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and Trusts, Non-Governmental Organisations and charities including the British Heart Foundation, the British and Irish Hypertension Society, Heart UK, NHS, NHS England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Public Health England and from leading researchers.

They all helped to spread the message, encouraging home blood pressure monitoring and sharing our resources.

Our new home monitoring resources went down a storm

We created a collection of home monitoring resources which we made available in our new home monitoring hub and sent to those who signed up to support the campaign. We received lots of great feedback on our resources which included a guide to checking your blood pressure at home, a home monitoring record card to record your blood pressure numbers on, and our video explaining how to measure your blood pressure and what the numbers mean. 

Why the campaign is so important

Our recent survey of UK adults showed that:

• two thirds (66%) said that blood pressure is not a concern for them
• half (48%) of those diagnosed with high blood pressure preferred not to say if it was under control
• less than one in 5 (17%) of those who own a blood pressure monitor use it once a month
• 42% of those who don’t own a monitor would rather a health professional check it.

One in three people now have high blood pressure, including young adults. Given that home monitoring is strongly backed up by the evidence for preventing illness, our campaign is clearly much needed.

Making a difference

We were sent the following thank you message which sums up the difference the campaign makes.

Dear Blood Pressure UK,

Thank you all for helping the nation to manage their blood pressure.

Due to your campaign, I have dusted off my blood pressure machine, taken my pressure
this morning, and will continue to do so for a week and monthly thereafter.

Without watching your video, I would not have known to take an average
reading. Your explanation of the readings was perfect, and I can now be more proactive and knowledgeable about my health.

I feel confident to measure my own blood pressure and have sent the reading via email to my surgery, as they are asking patients like myself (on medication for blood pressure) to purchase their own blood pressure machine and advise them of a reading every 6 months.

Kind regards,

Rebecca

2019 - Live well for longer

This year’s Know Your Numbers! Week was all about knowing your blood pressure numbers to live a long and healthy life. 

Many of us are living well into our 70s, 80s and 90s. With so much life to look forward to, we want these years to be healthy and happy for everyone, free from disease and disability. 

The key to a healthy later life is in keeping ourselves fit and healthy for as long as possible, making the most of the support available along the way. 

There are many things that we can do delay or even prevent disease. Such as stopping smoking, watching what you eat and drink, and being active. But one of the simplest is knowing your blood pressure numbers. 

High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks and strokes, as well as other illnesses. Once you Know Your Numbers! you can get support to bring your blood pressure under control and prevent these diseases. 

Around a third of people in the UK have high blood pressure, but most don’t know it. It doesn’t have any symptoms so, the only way to find out is to get a blood pressure check.  

Therefore in 2019 the aim was to encourage people to Live well for longer by going to get their blood pressure checked either at one of our Pressure Stations during the week, via community pharmacy or practice nurse or via self-care at home, as high blood pressure has no symptoms. Together we can help to prevent death and disability from stroke and heart disease caused by high blood pressure.

Here we highlight just some of the events that took place at over hundreds of venues across the UK during Know your Numbers! Week 2019:

We had so much support for Know Your Numbers! Week this year we almost couldn’t believe it

We made radio appearances, news headlines, and even featured on Arsenal football club’s website. Take a look at the incredible events giving free blood pressure checks to those who don’t know their numbers. We can’t say thank you enough.

A week of free blood pressure checks 

Every September for Know Your Numbers! Week, volunteers host pop up venues called Pressure Stations’ in public places, giving free blood pressure checks and health advice to passers-by. This year we were overwhelmed with support from volunteers, helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

There were far too many to mention, but thank you to all the pharmacies, PHE teams, CCG’s, NHS Trusts, libraries, shopping centres and places of worship who took part. 

Chippenham Pit Stop summed up perfectly just how these events make a difference:

“We had the pleasure of seeing a young man in his 20’s who had unbelievably high BP this time last year. The check last year shocked him into action and he signed up for a healthy living course. He has given up smoking, hugely reduced a drinking habit and sought help with mental health issues. He has undertaken a cookery course and is now seeking employment. 

“He said that the fact we had taken his blood pressure last year and made him realise the harm he was causing had given him a future. His Dad was with him and apparently the whole family has got behind him, and other members have given up smoking – so the snowball grows!!”

We trended on twitter for the third year in a row 

There were so many enthusiastic, informative and supportive tweets about #KnowYourNumbers, they reached an unbelievable 52.8K people!  

NHS England, NHS UK, Stroke Association, ME Association and Public Health England’s prevention lead Jamie Waterall all got behind us, to name just a few. We especially loved Barts Health Archives and Museums tweet about their antique sphygmomanometer. 

Half a million people viewed our website 

Our blood pressure chart was a favourite as ever. 

Making (radio)waves 

Our CEO Katharine Jenner joined veteran presenter Eamonn Holmes for a delightful interview at talkRADIO. Eamon lives with high blood pressure, and they discussed why KYN! Week is so important and how to look after your blood pressure – including Eamonn’s daily dose of beetroot! You can listen here.  

Working for less salt in food at wholesale giant Bidfood

LoSalt got the week got off to a flying start with a well-being event at food wholesalers, Bidfood. As one of the largest wholesalers in the UK, supplying hospitals, hotels, schools, pubs and restaurants, they're ideal customers when it comes to lowering salt in food to lower blood pressure.

LoSalt explained exactly why salt reduction is so important and let them know about their low sodium alternative seasoning. And we were on hand to give free blood pressure checks to the Bidfood staff.

We featured on the Arsenal Website and we’re auctioning an Arsenal T-shirt!

We featured on the Arsenal Football Club page of gladiatorfootball.co.uk with information about KYN week. The promotion is helping us to reach a younger audience and reach more men, who can be less engaged when it comes to talking about health. 

A sunrise row on the River Thames 

Cheval Collection teamed up with Milo And The Bull boutique rowing studio, and nutrition and lifestyle expert Emma Broome of LIFE Acrobat, to host a sponsored rowing challenge to raise money and awareness for us.  

With two WaterRower machines on the terrace of one of their luxury residences on the Thames, the staff and residents rowed a massive 56km - more than 6.5 times the distance of The Boat Race! 

Why do we do it?

High blood pressure is known as the silent killer because it has no symptoms, until you have a heart attack or stroke. It’s also incredibly common – nearly 6 million adults in the UK have high blood pressure and don’t know it.

The only way to Know Your Numbers! is to get a blood pressure test. That’s why, every year, we do everything we can to reach those who don’t know theirs.

This year our theme was Live well for longer, as people live such long lives, but not necessarily in good health. More and more young adults have high or pre-high blood pressure and are experiencing the disastrous consequences in midlife, and we want to put an end to this unnecessary suffering.

Find out more about this year’s campaign and why we did it.  It was a story that made headlines.

Hemini Bharadia, Marketing Manager at Blood Pressure UK says:

“Thank you so much to everybody who took part this year. Whether you went along to get your blood pressure checked, if you hosted an event, or volunteered, we couldn’t do it without you. It was one of our best years yet and we’re delighted to reach so many people who don’t know their numbers. 

“With many of us living well into our 70s, 80s and 90s, we want these years to be healthy and happy for everyone. Thank you for helping us in our efforts to make it a reality."

2018 – Do you KNOW YOUR risks of high blood pressure NUMBERS? 

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, which is why is it often referred to as the silent killer. The only way to know you have it is to have a check. Therefore in 2018 we wanted to encourage ALL family members to check their blood pressure, so if detected, it can be easily treated thereby reducing your risk of a stroke or heart disease.

Here we highlight just some of the events that took place at over hundreds of venues across the UK during Know your Numbers! Week 2018:

Our recent survey found that two thirds of Brits are missing out on one of the simplest ways to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and we set out to change that.

Know Your Numbers! Week is the nation’s biggest blood pressure testing and awareness event, where we go out in search of those who have high blood pressure and don’t know it. It’s our annual flagship campaign.

Our recent survey found that two thirds of the country still don’t know their numbers, making this year’s one of our most important and timely campaigns. And it was one of our biggest and brightest yet.

The nation’s health professionals got behind the campaign

We were overwhelmed with support this year. Hundreds of health professionals and pharmacists set up pop-up venues known as Pressure Stations to offer free blood pressure checks to unsuspecting passers-by. They teamed up to give people the chance to understand their health, explaining the simple steps you can take to lower your blood pressure and prevent illnesses later on.

Everybody Leisure made a huge effort with their eye-catching displays in their gyms around the country. And Knowlsey Council, Swindon Borough Council, One You Merton and Portsmouth’s Discipleship Church blew us away with their colourful campaigns.

We kicked off the week by measuring the blood pressures of 100 of the construction industry’s heavy hitters at the Image of Construction event in London this September, run by Considerate Constructors Scheme. CEOs, directors and managers queued up to see us at our Blood Pressure UK stand. Many wanted lifestyle advice and we were delighted to oblige, making the most of our newly-designed leaflets.

We had our posters put up in motorway service stations washrooms during Know Your Numbers! Week and the week before to encourage people to go and get their blood pressure checked.

Public Health England’s One You team made a special graphic to promote their Heart Age tool during Know Your Numbers! Week. Once you know your blood pressure numbers, you can use this simple online calculator to find out how your heart age compares to your actual age. It gives you a good idea of how healthy your heart is, and the changes you can make for a healthier heart.

Know Your Numbers! Week trended on twitter

We trended on Twitter again this year with our hashtag #KnowYourNumbers. Our poster was seen by over 21,000 people on Twitter – our most successful poster on the social media site yet.

About our poster, @EMS Healthcare tweeted: We love this from @BloodPress_UK Such a fantastic & engaging way to deliver an important #healthcare message!

We had some fantastic feedback for this year’s campaign

“Hemini, thank you for everything with the Know Your Numbers! campaign, great week as always.”

Lucy Bourne – Everybody Sport and Recreation

“The campaign was again very well received by our staff and residents and we’ll look forward to working with you again next year.”

Cheshire East Council

“We thoroughly enjoyed this week. We really enjoyed doing the 1-2-1 sessions with members of the public and it was nice to meet a variety of people and interact with them. Feedback was really positive and we wanted this campaign to run for more than one week.”

Victoria Lockett – Eaglebridge Health and Wellbeing Centre

“This KYN week was a success in terms of making staff aware of the risks of high blood pressure to anyone. We had young and old, overweight and slim – those who didn't expect to have high blood pressure were mostly young and slim. It was a great event. Looking forward to participating again next year.”

Amy Althorpe – Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

A huge thank you goes to all those who took part, hosting Pressure Stations, talking about the event or raising awareness of high blood pressure.

Blood pressure still isn’t a priority for many

Our recent survey of 2000 UK adults revealed that there’s still a lot of misunderstandings around blood pressure, and it’s simply not a major health concern for many. 

• Two thirds (64%) don’t know their blood pressure numbers, so they’re missing out on one of the simplest ways to look after their health.
• 16% think that a healthy blood pressure readings is 130/80mmHg, when it fact this is on the high side, an ideal reading is under 120mmHg.
• A quarter (26.7%) would prioritise going out with friends over having a blood pressure test, 15% would rather watch TV and 10% would choose to watch football instead.
• Four out of ten (39%) are more worried about other health problems. For many, high blood pressure simply isn’t a concern.
• Two thirds (66%) don’t own a monitor. And 16% only trust their GP to measure their blood pressure, but validated monitors have been tried and tested to make sure they’re giving accurate readings. So many are missing a trick in looking after their health.
• One in five (19%) thought that people in their 30s should worry about their blood pressure. But high blood pressure and the problems it causes such as stroke are becoming more and more common in your 30s, 40s and 50s, so adults of all ages should get a blood pressure test.

Why we want everyone to get a blood pressure check and to invest in a home monitor

High blood pressure is known as the silent killer – it doesn’t have any symptoms but can go on to cause a heart attack or stroke. It’s very common, one in three people have it.  It’s also one of the easiest conditions to diagnose and treat, and keeping an eye on your numbers at home can make all the difference.

We called for all families to invest in a blood pressure monitor, and for government subsidies for people who are most likely to develop health problems and those with low incomes.

This would save over £1 billion per year in healthcare costs, as there are still 6.5 million people with high blood pressure who don’t know it, who could go on to have a heart attack or stroke because of their blood pressure.

Professor Graham MacGregor, Chairman of Blood Pressure UK says:

“High blood pressure kills thousands of people every year in the UK and is almost entirely preventable. It’s imperative that everyone, including children, has their blood pressure taken at least once a year, and more regularly if it’s a high reading, in consultation with their GP.”

Hemini Bharadia, Know Your Numbers Week! Campaign Manager explained:

“High blood pressure does not discriminate on age or gender – people are dying unnecessarily because they fail to take such simple steps to reduce their blood pressure. Know Your Numbers! Week is the perfect opportunity to have your blood pressure taken for free and put you in control of your health.”

2017 – STOP Stroke 

With the proportion of strokes in younger adults on the rise, we urged the public to Know Your Numbers! regardless of your age!

This year’s event marked the end of our 2017 campaign to STOP Stroke. Many strokes are preventable as they are caused by high blood pressure, and here’s how we set out to stop them.

The Royal Mail gives us their seal of approval
The Royal Mail stamped a Know Your Numbers! postmark on all mail for the whole week.

The team on the ground set out to find the missing millions
Pressure Stations popped up in pharmacies, leisure centres and even HMP prisons offering free blood pressure checks to colleagues and communities all around the country, improving health and boosting morale. Here’s what they said:

There was a real buzz on Twitter
#KnowYourNumbers was trending on launch day

@Eventos2017 tweeted: @Blood Pressure – You’re Going Down! Know Your Numbers! Week 18-24 Sept 2017

@MandyPR tweeted: know how much you weigh ✓ know your PIN number ✓ know your blood pressure ✓

@FHFT_wellbeing tweeted: Well that’s our week done, we found 113 people with raised BP and requiring follow up with GP/ Lifestyle advice

Life lessons from people who’ve had a stroke
Frances was 50 when she had a stroke, and Jon was just 39 when he had his. They explain how they’re recovering, what they’ve learned, and why it’s so important you get a check and take care of your blood pressure.

Know Your Numbers! Week made headlines
Thank you to The Daily Express, The Mirror, The Sunday Mirror and all the regional radio and television stations who featured the campaign, reaching millions of people with a message that could save lives. 

Thank you to everyone who took part 
And a huge thank you to all those who took part and hosted Pressure Stations.

2016 – Know Your Numbers! Know Your Risks  

This year we asked: Are you a risk taker? You are if you don't know your blood pressure numbers!

High blood pressure usually doesn’t have any symptoms so we asked people not to take any risks and get a blood pressure check. 

Public Health England got involved, creating some fabulous ‘I know my numbers boards’ for us, and there was even a Pressure Station at the Royal Opera House. Take a look at some of the highlights.

Public Health England know their numbers!

Public Health England was buzzing with free checks during Know Your Numbers! Week 2016. They supported us with the creation of these fantastic 'I know my numbers' boards.

Jamie Waterall, National Lead for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Public Health England, said: “Know Your Numbers! Week is a fantastic prevention initiative. We are happy to be supporting this by setting up blood pressure stations for staff to use in some of our PHE sites.” 

Drivers were put on the right track at motorway service stations

We reached out to risk-takers in service stations up and down the country, encouraging them to Know their Numbers! with our nationwide poster campaign.

Bromley Healthcare reached a whopping 857 people

Bromley Healthcare set up 3 Pressure Stations, two in leisure centres and one in a Tesco store, attracting people who might not normally have the opportunity to go to their GP for a test. 

Wirral ‘Gogglebox’ star Viv Woerndenweber

Viv had her blood pressure checked and urged local residents in Wirral to do the same. She said: “Know Your Numbers! Week is a fantastic initiative, helping to identify people living with undiagnosed high blood pressure and raising awareness of this silent killer.”

MPs got behind Know Your Numbers!

Derek Thomas, MP for St Ives, supported Know Your Numbers! Week this year by getting his blood pressure checked.

Know Your Numbers! Week made headlines

The week had tremendous support from the media and the public. National coverage included The Mail, The Sun, Metro and The Mirror, The Mail online, The Express online, Huffington Post UK, Sky Radio, and there were dozens of stories on local radio, online and in the local press.

Thank you to everyone who took part 

Thank you to all those who ran Pressure Stations, including EDF Energy, Bromley Healthcare, One You Ealing, Boots UK and major pharmacy chain Healthy Living Pharmacies in Cheshire and Merseyside.

Blood Pressure in the UK

See how many Pressure Stations took place in 2016 and the average blood pressures of those who had a check.

(1) Defined as either a systolic reading of 140mmHg or above or diastolic reading of 90mmHg or above  (2) Defined as either a systolic reading of 120-139mmHg or diastolic reading of 80-89mmHg, if not included in high blood pressure category.

2015 – Make every second count

A blood pressure check is quick, free, painless, and could save your life – that’s why we are urged everyone to make every second count and get a check.

Half of the 16 million people with high blood pressure in the UK don’t know they have it, but it only takes two minutes to find out. We wanted everyone to pop it on their to do list and pharmacies and health professionals across the country helped us out.

Rachel Koo creates some exciting low salt recipes

Celebrity chef, writer and broadcaster Rachel Koo provided us with a Wild garlic ravioli recipe and a delicious Fig salad recipe for this year’s campaign, showing how tasty life can be without salt.

Bromley Healthcare reaches 880 people with their blood pressure van
Bromley was buzzing with free checks as Bromley Healthcare’s Smokefree Bromley van travelled through the borough, reaching out to the community. An amazing 880 people took advantage of the free checks, even more than last year’s 760.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital helps Birmingham to know their numbers

In Birmingham, the staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital prepared for a busy week as they set up a Pressure Station in the hospital foyer for the public.

Davidsons gets ready for Know Your Numbers! Week

Pharmacy chain Davidsons set up Pressure Stations across Scotland, here’s a snapshot of a few of them.

Basildon Hospital got to Know their Numbers!

Staff at Basildon Hospital made every second count and crossed getting a blood pressure check off their to do list.

MPs got behind Know Your Numbers!
David Mowatt, MP for Warrington South, got his free blood pressure check, and MPs from all side of parliament supported us.

Ian Wright, TV and radio presenter and former footballer
“It is vital that we all become much more aware of the need to have regular blood pressure check-ups and make relatively simple changes to our lives. For example, if we limit our salt intake, eat more fruit and vegetables and become more active we will reduce our risks of having a heart attack or stroke.”

KYN week made headlines 
Our Chairman, Professor Graham MacGregor, kicked off Know Your Numbers! week talking on London Live TV. More than 50 newspapers up and down the country talked about the campaign, including The Daily Express, The Daily Mirror, The Times, as well as radio stations that got involved, letting listeners know about the opportunity for a free blood pressure check. 

Thank you to everyone who took part 
Thank you to all those who ran Pressure Stations, including Samsung UK Ltd, EDF Energy who ran stations for their staff, Community Pharmacies, Davidsons Chemist, Dean and Smedley, Murrays Healthcare, Paydens, PCT Healthcare, SG Court, and Whitworths.

2014 – Hunt for the missing millions

There are eight million people in the UK living with high blood pressure but not being treated for it – we set out to find them.

Our Chairman, Professor Graham MacGregor, explained: “With our busy lifestyles, many people are unaware that they have high blood pressure, especially in the younger generation, so there is a real need to raise awareness.”

We asked you to join the hunt for the missing millions with high blood pressure, both young and old, to prevent strokes and heart attacks. Take a look at the highlights from this year’s Know Your Numbers! Week.

Bromley Healthcare scour South East London for the undiagnosed

The lifestyles team at Bromley Healthcare set up not one, but two blood pressure stations during Know Your Numbers! Week. They based one at Intu Bromley shopping centre while the Smoke free Bromley van travelled the borough. 

They planned their stations to reach those who might not have the opportunity to go to their GP for a test, and a whopping 760 people took up the opportunity.

The team at Prestatyn Town Council get their free checks

The sun came out in Wales for Prestatyn Town Council who opened its headquarters to the public.

Meadowside Leisure Centre gets zumba crazy
Not only did they set up a Pressure Station, Meadowside Leisure Centre in East Staffordshire threw a pink Zumba party to raise funds for Blood Pressure UK.

MPs got behind Know Your Numbers! Week
MP’s got behind our campaign, and Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, got his free check. He said: “Each year 120,000 adults in the UK have a heart attack or stroke in which high blood pressure is a key factor – that's a preventable stroke or heart attack every four minutes.  But taking steps to lower blood pressure is something we can all do to improve our general health, and this begins with knowing your blood pressure.  So, I hope that as many people as possible will join me in having a blood pressure check to reduce their risk.”

Thank you to everyone who took part
Thank you to everyone who took part and ran Pressure Stations this year. Including The G4S security team in London, IOM Consulting who ran Pressure Stations for their staff at the Olympic Park and Crossrail headquarters, and the men and boys health team at Bradford District Care Trust who carried out over 140 blood pressure readings throughout the week.  

Thank you also to all the pharmacies and health centers who took part, including the pharmacy chains AAH, ASDA, Cornwell's Chemists Ltd, Davidsons Chemist, Lincolnshire Co-op, Manor Pharmacy, Murrays Healthcare, Paydens, PCT Healthcare, SG Court, Whitworths, Wilsons.

2013 – Do you have lucky numbers?

We asked: Do you have lucky numbers? and over 1,200 Pressure Stations helped us find out.

Your blood pressure numbers are as important as your height and weight, and we encouraged the UK to find out how healthy theirs were for Know Your Numbers! Week 2013. New tricks actors got on board while health professionals hosted Pressure Stations in a variety of venues.

There were over 1,000 venues across the UK during Know Your Numbers! Week 2013, here’s just a few of the highlights.

BBC 1’s New Tricks Actors visit Heart Centre
Amanda Redman and Alun Armstrong visited the William Harvey Heart Centre in Barbican for Know Your Numbers! Week and even had their blood pressures checked.

Staff at Bradgate Bakery get a free check
Bradgate Bakery had a very busy time during Know Your Numbers! Week, taking over 200 blood pressures!

Salford gets an MOT
People in Salford had mini health 'MOT's' in the Salford health bus, including blood pressures checks. The bus was out and about during the week visiting supermarkets, workplaces and other busy areas of Salford.

Local Mayor supports Know Your Numbers!
Mayor of Watton Lorraine McCarthy visited Total Health Pharmacy in support of Know Your Numbers! Week.

Footballers kick off blood pressure checks
AFC Wimbledon staged a Pressure Station at the Cherry Red Records Stadium before their match against Burton on Saturday 21 September. Among the 77 people tested were Mitcham & Morden MP, along with Wimbledon's manager and captain. All scored favourable blood pressure readings.

MPs showed their support

David Blunkett, MP for Sheffield Brightside & Hilsborough was among the many MPs who got behind the campaign:

“I got to know my numbers almost 20 years ago when I discovered that high blood pressure was the cause of my dizziness. Knowing the truth helps you do something about it and continue life as normal, even when under the most enormous pressure as I was in my eight years in government. Preventing strokes or heart attacks is a benefit of our modern NHS so it is good common sense to get checked out and put things right before it’s too late.”

KYN week made headlines 

The week kicked off with The Daily Mail, Daily Express and Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 telling the nation how important it was to get that vital free blood pressure check. Coverage continued throughout the week in regional papers across the UK.

Thank you to everyone who took part
Blood Pressure UK would like to thank everyone who took part in Know Your Numbers! Week 2013. More than 1,000 Pressure Stations across the UK provided free blood pressure checks.

Thank you to all those who took part, including AAH, ASDA, Avicenna, Cornwell's Chemists Ltd, Davidsons Chemist, Lincolnshire Co-op, Manor Pharmacy, Murrays Healthcare, Paydens         PCT Healthcare, SG Court, Whitworth.

Pressure stations around the UK
See how many Pressure Stations took place in 2013 and the average blood pressures of those who had a check.

(1) Defined as either a systolic reading of 140mmHg or above or diastolic reading of 90mmHg or above

(2) Defined as either a systolic reading of 120-139mmHg or diastolic reading of 80-89mmHg, if not included in high blood pressure category

2012 – Do you know your partner's blood pressure?

We encouraged the nation to not only find out their own blood pressure numbers, but their partner’s too.

We asked 'Do you know your partner's blood pressure?' as we encouraged the nation to get up and go for a free blood pressure check during Know Your Numbers! Week this year.

Over 1,500 Pressure Stations across the UK offered free blood pressure checks – from an auction mart on the Orkney Isles to a market in Huddersfield, a pharmacy in Cornwall and just about everywhere in between.

Thank you to everyone who took part
We would like to thank everyone who took part in Know Your Numbers! Week 2012, including AAH, ASDA, Avicenna, Cohens, Cox & Robinson, Davidsons Chemist, Manor Pharmacy, Medicare, Paydens, Pearl Chemists, PCT Healthcare, SG Court, Whitworth.

See our supporters

2011 – Ignorance isn't always bliss

We revealed that nearly three quarters of UK adults don't know their blood pressure numbers, but ignorance isn’t always bliss.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure causes strokes and heart attacks, so not knowing your blood pressure numbers is an unnecessary gamble. We urged the UK to take the first step to lowering the odds of heart attacks and strokes by having a free blood pressure check, and more than 1,500 Pressure Stations stepped up to help.

We would like to thank everyone who took part in Know Your Numbers! Week 2011, hosting more than 1,500 Pressure Stations, including the major pharmacy chains: AAH, ASDA, Cohens Chemist, Davidsons, JHoots, Manor Pharmacy, Mid-Counties Co-op, Medicare, M Whitfield, Nuffield Health, Paydens, PCT Healthcare, Whitworth Chemist.

MPs showed their support for Know Your Numbers!

Charles Kennedy, MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, was among the MPs who supported us saying: “Blood pressure problems are a creeping threat to millions of people in the UK, thanks to the efforts of Blood Pressure UK we can catch high blood pressure before it threatens lives, and often successfully manage the problem with only a handful of changes to our weekly shop.”

Pressure stations around the UK
See how many Pressure Stations took place in 2011 and the average blood pressures of those who had a check.

A high reading is 140mmHg or over for systolic blood pressure and 90mmHg or over for diastolic blood pressure.

A high-normal reading is 130-139 mmHg or over for systolic blood pressure and 85-89mmHg or over for diastolic blood pressure. (if not included in high blood pressure reading).

2010 – Are you gambling with your health?

We went in search of those taking unnecessary gambles with their health, and smashed a world record while we were at it.

Our research found that three quarters of UK adults don't know their blood pressure numbers, and uncontrolled high blood pressure causes strokes and heart attack, but a simple blood pressure check is all you need to start taking control of your health.

Nurses in Wales helped us break the Guinness World Record for the most blood pressures taken in eight hours and more than 1,500 venues Pressure Stations offered free blood pressure checks for Know Your Numbers! Week. Here are some of the highlights.

And it’s a new world record!

With the help of 16 nurses and a team of volunteers at Caer Health Services, Wales, we broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the most blood pressure tests in eight hours. With 2,075 blood pressures, we smashed the old World Record of 2,075 blood pressure checks, taken in Florida in 2009. You can view the story from BBC Wales Cymru in Welsh here.

Frank Sinatra croons about blood pressure

Frank Sinatra (also known as Stephen Triffitt, tribute act) known for his love of gambling as well as crooning, urged everyone to take the first step to lowering their odds of strokes and heart attack by having a blood pressure check.

Timothy West interviewed by Daily Express

Acclaimed actor Timothy West talked about his own experience with high blood pressure in an interview with the Daily Express, as he got behind Know Your numbers! Week.

Timothy's high blood pressure was first discovered "quite by chance" through a routine medical given to actors before starting a filming job. He explained: "If it hadn't been for the fact I got that job and needed that medical I'm not sure that I would have found out in any other way before I or my family got a rather nasty shock." Read the full story.

See all the famous faces who supported us.

MPs got behind Know Your Numbers!

In Nottinghamshire, Anna Soubry, MP for Broxtowe, had a free check at her local Manor Pharmacy in Beeston. Anna said: "I'm getting my blood pressure checked and supporting the Blood Pressure Association's Know Your Numbers! Week because it's vital that people realise the importance of good blood pressure health." See all the MPs who got involved.

Thank you to everyone who took part

We would like to thank everyone who took part in Know Your Numbers! Week 2010. It was a great event and over 100,000 people got a free blood pressure check. Those who took part included the major pharmacy chains: AAH, ABC Phramacy, ASDA, Cohens Chemist, Davidsons, Lincolnshire Co-op, Living Care Pharmacy, Manor Pharmacy, Mid-Counties Co-op, M Whitfield, Paydens, PCT Healthcare, Whitworth Chemist.

Pressure stations around the UK
See how many Pressure Stations took part in 2010 and the average blood pressures of those who had a check.

'High' reading - a systolic reading of 140mmHg or over or diastolic blood pressure reading of 90mmHg or above.

'High normal' reading - a systolic reading of 130-139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure reading of 85-89 (if not included in high blood pressure reading).

2009 – Could you be the one in three?

A third of adults have high blood pressure and a third of those don’t know it – we went in search of the one in three.

To find the millions of people with high blood pressure in the UK and don’t know it, we targeted the UK’s busiest. We encouraged those who may not otherwise have time to make an appointment with their GP to take advantage of free blood pressure checks on offer. 

We put commuters on the right track with a massive poster campaign across the UK’s train stations, and Pressure Stations gave free checks at busy locations like train stations, shopping centers and workplaces. Here’s some of the highlights.

Free blood pressure checks 'Asda' be good!

Shoppers and staff at ASDA in Clapham Junction couldn't resist the special offer of a free blood pressure check from our mobile screening van. Here Frank McDermott from ASDA gets his free check.

Posters put commuters on the right track
Hundreds of posters appeared across the UK at train, tram and London Underground stations, encouraging busy commuters to take time out of their day to get their free blood pressure check. Read the full story.

GMTV highlights Know Your Numbers!

GMTV put blood pressure in the spotlight when film crews broadcast live from screening vans at Liverpool Street Station in London at the launch of Know Your Numbers! Week 2009.

Taxi drivers have ‘the Knowledge’ but they don’t know their numbers
England's Lionhearts beat Scotland's Bravehearts in the battle for best blood pressure, as black-cab taxi drivers had their blood pressure tested in London and Scotland.

Highs and lows at Alton Towers

Staff at Alton Towers had their blood pressures checked during Know Your Numbers! Week, but we don't advise taking a rollercoaster ride before having your free blood pressure test! (Sitting quietly for 5 minutes is the more accepted approach to getting an accurate reading...)

Shoppers check out our free tests in Leyton
Mike Rich, Chief Executive of the Blood Pressure Association (back left) met Councillor Afzal Akram, Chair of NHS Waltham Forest (back right), when he stopped in at the Tesco in Leyton. NHS Waltham Forest were offered free blood pressure checks at the supermarket all week.

MPs got behind the campaign

MPs from all sides of Parliament lent their support. David Tredinnick, MP for Bosworth said "I know what a great contribution the Blood Pressure Association makes to improving the nation's health. Know Your Numbers! draws the attention of the public to what can be done to help and I am delighted to give my support." See all the MPs who supported us.

Thank you to everyone who took part
We would like to thank everyone who took part in Know Your Numbers! Week 2009, including well-known high street, supermarket and independent pharmacies, major employers spanning construction, energy, retail and manufacturing, along with a wide range of NHS and public sector organisations. They included ASDA Pharmacy, Day Lewis Pharmacy, Manor Pharmacy, Medi Pharmacy, Medicare Pharmacy, Paydens Group, PCT Healthcare, Rowlands Pharmacy and Superdrug. See all the organisations who hosted pressure stations.

KYN week made headlines 
The campaign received a huge amount of media coverage. We were featured on GMTV, radio shows including BBC Radio 2 Drivetime, national newspapers the Daily Express and the Daily Star, as well as extensive coverage in regional papers, radio, online and in popular magazines.

Pressure stations around the UK
See how many Pressure Stations took place in 2009 and the average blood pressures of those who had a check.

(1) Defined as either a systolic reading of 140mmHg or above or diastolic reading of 90mmHg or above

(2) Defined as either a systolic reading of 130-139mmHg or diastolic reading of 85-89mmHg, if not included in high blood pressure category

2008 – Are you at risk from the blood pressure time bomb?

A quarter of a million people had a free blood pressure check, an achievement recognised by The Charity Awards, as we set out to stop the blood pressure time bomb.

Most people with high blood pressure do not have signs or symptoms but it can be life-threatening, it’s like a ticking time bomb. But you can find out if you have it and get it under control with a blood pressure check.

More than 3,000 Pressure Stations provided free blood pressure checks and a whole host of celebrities and MPs got behind us. Here are some of the highlights.

We won The Charity Awards

This year we won the Healthcare and Medical Research category of The Charity Awards, known as the ‘Oscars’ of the charity sector. The judges praised a "good, well-run campaign" which “made quite an impact".

Famous faces support our campaign

Eastenders actress Angela Wynter (pictured) joined our Chairman, Professor Graham MacGregor, at the House of Commons to launch this year’s campaign. And we were also supported by celebrities including actors Prunella Scales, Timothy West, presenter Michael Aspel, Rudolph Walker (Eastenders), Angela Wynter (Eastenders) and Ashley Waters (actor, singer and former So Solid Crew member) – see what they had to say.

Thank you to those who took part
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part and made this year a huge success, including the pharmacay chains: ASDA pharmacies, Davidsons Chemists, Day Lewis Pharmacy, Lloydspharmacy, Manor Pharmacies, Midcounties Co-op, Paydens Group, PCT Healthcare

Rowlands Pharmacy, Sainsbury's pharmacies, Superdrug.              

Pressure stations around the UK
See how many Pressure Stations took place in 2008 and the average blood pressures of those who had a check.

(1) Defined as either a systolic reading of 140mmHg or above or diastolic reading of 90mmHg or above. (2) Defined as either a systolic reading of 130-139mmHg or diastolic reading of 85-89mmHg, if not included in high blood pressure category

2007 – Finding the missing millions

16 million people in the UK have high blood pressure, but 5.3 million of them don’t know it, putting them at risk of heart attacks and stroke. We set out to find them.

High blood pressure can lead to all kinds of health problems in the future, but it doesn’t tend to have any symptoms. That’s why millions of people have high blood pressure but aren’t aware of it.

More than 2,700 Pressure Stations gave free blood pressure checks across the country, and they reached a quarter of a million people! Here are some of the highlights.

Olympian Colin Jackson
Colin Jackson, TV Presenter and former Olympic hurdler supported us this year, explaining how you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to take care of your health.

"Along with eating a healthy diet, exercise plays a vital part in lowering blood pressure, and you don’t have to reach Olympic status like me to make a big difference to your health.

"Just being more active, such as using the stairs rather than the lift, taking the dog on a longer walk, cycling to work or taking up a sport you enjoy will all make a difference.”

Take a look at the other famous faces who supported the campaign.

Some unusual goings on
A cattle market in Orkney, a barbers shop in the Midlands, a bingo hall in Wales and a street market in London were are just a few of the unusual venues where people could get a free blood pressure check in 2007.

Pressure stations around the UK
See how many Pressure Stations took place in 2007 and the average blood pressures of those who had a check.

'High' reading - a systolic reading of 140mmHg or over or diastolic blood pressure reading of 90mmHg or above.

'High normal' reading - a systolic reading of 130-139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure reading of 85-89 (if not included in high blood pressure reading).