September, 2016: Stop the silent killer in its tracks, is the message from the Irish Heart Foundation as they encourage everyone attending this year’s Ploughing Championships to avail of the free blood pressure checks being offered by their new Mobile Health Unit.
According to the Irish Heart Foundation, early detection is the single most powerful tool in the fight against high blood pressure which is a silent, stealthy and symptomless killer and is a leading cause of stroke, heart disease, premature death and disability in Ireland today, with almost one million people suffering from it.
Their new Mobile Health Unit, staffed by fully qualified nurses, will be present and operating for the three days of this year’s Ploughing Championships and Marese Damery, Health Check Co-ordinator with the Irish Heart Foundation, is urging people to make the most of the service.
Marese said: “Silent and invisible, high blood pressure can seriously damage blood vessels and the heart if left unchecked. People with high blood pressure are three times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack compared to those with healthy or controlled blood pressure.
“The good news is that a simple blood pressure check can be the first step in detecting high blood pressure.”
The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get checked and the Irish Heart Foundation is advising all those at this year’s Ploughing Championships to follow the example set by the Minster for Health Simon Harris TD and take the 10 minutes it takes and visit the Mobile Health Unit.