Real stories

Jon appreciates how lucky he’s been to have made a full recovery after his stroke aged just 39, now he runs 10K races and takes his blood pressure monitor into work for his colleagues. Read Jon’s story

Frances speaks out about living with the effects of a stroke to encourage others to take care of their blood pressure. Read Frances’s story.

After surviving a stroke, Christine was determined to recover. She crawled when she had to, went to college on crutches, learned to cook without salt, and now you wouldn’t know she had a stroke.

Alarm bells rang when Louise’s gym instructor found her blood pressure was high despite her being young and healthy, giving her a lucky escape from a very serious illness.   

With personal experience of why high blood pressure is called the silent killer, Julie Slack cycled for four days from London to Amsterdam to raise funds for us, taking two great friends along for the ride.

Despite having half a lung removed at 19, Rebecca ran the 2015 Bath Half Marathon in 1 hour and 56 minutes, raising £2,000 in memory of her dad, Phil.

Malcolm knew his snoring was disrupting his sleep, but realising just how bad it was for his wife led to a diagnosis of sleep apnea and the discovery of a small machine that changed his life.  

When Danny was diagnosed with high blood pressure, the doctor assured him that everything would be OK, and with some simple medications and lifestyle changes, it has been.

Steven had a stroke three years after he left his blood pressure pills in the bathroom cabinet, but he was determined not to be beaten. Now he cycles across continents.

Steve thought that high blood pressure only affected older people, so his diagnosis came as a surprise. 20 years on, his medications and lifestyle changes haven’t been a problem.

Richard lost so much weight his trousers fell off, but when the weight crept back on and his blood pressure rose, he knew exactly what to do.

As Chairman of the local council, Tom led the way for Know Your Numbers! Week by getting a blood pressure check, only to find he had high blood pressure himself.

Having been active his whole life until recently, Johnny was shocked to be diagnosed at 35. He’s learned the importance of looking after himself now, not just in the future.

After the initial shock of a high blood pressure diagnosis, Christian was more surprised by how simple it was going to be to treat.

After high blood pressure put her at risk of a stroke, 33-year-old Nicola is changing her lifestyle to stay healthy for her young son.

David couldn’t understand how he could have high blood pressure at only 27 years old, but finds it amazing how one little pill has changed his life for the better.

As a fit and healthy 50-year-old, Nikki couldn’t understand why she developed high blood pressure. A chance find on the internet led to an interesting discovery.

When Joy made her annual visit to the optician she had no idea her blood shot eyes were down to high blood pressure.

A trip to the supermarket uncovered Dale’s high blood pressure. It was a struggle to get used to taking medications, but he knows they’re lowering his risk of heart disease and stroke.

It was Tim’s wife who helped him overcome his reluctance to see his doctor, twice, despite some troubling symptoms. And her ‘encouragement’ saved his life.

It was an early start for Blood Pressure UK media case study Rosemary Crump when she welcomed Dr Hilary Jones and a GMTV filmcrew into her home, to highlight the dangers of high blood pressure.

The interview was part of GMTV's National Healthcheck (March 2010), during which Dr Hilary travels the UK highlighting the importance of health checks. Read Rosemary's story.