PHARMACISTS Jennifer Precians and Dominica Koudrin from Oberon Pharmacy manned a stand at Supa IGA recently and tested the blood pressure and blood glucose level for 94 people.
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Twenty-four people were referred for rechecking at the pharmacy as their blood pressure was high, while 12 people were referred to their GP for immediate attention.
The highest result on the day was 188/111mmHg.
Community members can get their BP and BGL checked any time for free at Oberon Pharmacy.
According to the Heart Foundation, a blood pressure reading under 120/80mmHg is considered optimal, readings over 120/80mmHg and up to 139/89mmHg are in the normal to high normal range and above that level is considered hypertension.
Hypertension (the medical term for abnormally high blood pressure) has been designated by the World Health Organisation as one of the most serious risk factors for death worldwide.
It is estimated that about 30 per cent of Australian adults have hypertension, and most of these people are receiving no treatment.
Having some blood pressure is vitally important, according to the Heart Foundation, because it’s what keeps life-sustaining, oxygenated red blood cells circulating around the body.
But too much blood pressure can be catastrophic.
What makes hypertension so serious is that, well before the explosive heart attack or stroke occurs, there is underlying, sometimes irreparable damage done to the cardiovascular system, the kidneys and the brain.
