Blood pressure campaign helps beat heart disease

Media release
15 March, 2007

Blood pressure campaign helps beat heart disease in Auckland businesses

The ‘Good Luck’ blood pressure awareness campaign holds the first round of blood pressure testing at Vehicle Testing New Zealand (VTNZ) today.

The campaign is intended to help raise awareness of the importance of knowing your blood pressure and cardiac risk profile.

VTNZ will be the first Auckland business provided with free blood pressure testing for employees over the age of 40. All those screened will be provided with a record of their result, and anyone found to have high blood pressure will be encouraged to visit their doctor for a full cardiovascular risk assessment.

Melissa Jordan, General Manager of People and Culture at VTNZ, said she felt the ‘Good Luck’ campaign was a great opportunity for businesses to promote the health of their workers.

“As an employer of about 950 people we are aware of the importance of looking after the health of our most valuable resource – our people. The blood pressure campaign is a fantastic initiative and will be a valuable addition to our corporate wellness programme.”

Street research conducted in Auckland last Tuesday found that 51% of those interviewed did not know their blood pressure and 72% were not aware that people with high blood pressure may appear completely healthy and have no obvious symptoms.

An alarming 30% of Auckland men surveyed who were over the age of 40 did not know their blood pressure, although national guidelines recommend a cardiovascular risk assessment including blood pressure measurements for all men over 45 years of age, or over 35 years of age if they have risk factors.

Dr Warren Smith, an Auckland based Cardiologist, believes this lack of awareness is central to the seriousness of this issue.

“Those patients that are aware they have high blood pressure are better able to manage their condition and prevent the worst from happening. It is vital that people have their blood pressure and risk profile checked regularly to help determine whether they are at risk of heart disease”.

One in five New Zealanders suffer from high blood pressure1 and studies indicate that one in three people with high blood pressure are unaware they are affected.2 These statistics could mean that in Auckland alone 68,000 people may be unaware they suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure), one of the risk factors for developing heart disease.1,2

The ‘Good Luck’ campaign run by AstraZeneca a leading healthcare company in New Zealand, aims to raise awareness of the importance of blood pressure and cardiovascular risk assessment and offers free blood pressure testing from March 19th to major Auckland businesses.

-ends-

© Scoop Media