Introduction

About 3 in 10 adults in Somerset have high blood pressure but 1 in 10 don’t know it. It is a major risk factor for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), and significantly increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, but early detection and treatment can help people live longer, healthier lives.

The blood pressure monitor kits

The blood pressure monitor kits include an information leaflet that explains how to check your blood pressure at home and what to do with the results – measuring blood pressure at home can be very useful to give a more accurate picture of what a person’s blood pressure is like. The monitors can also detect an irregular heartbeat, which is another risk for CVD.

Please note – staff in libraries do not have medical training and are unable to show customers how to use the kits – please use the information provided and this short two minute video, which is from the trusted authority of British Heart Foundation and goes through how to use a blood pressure machine.

You can also view a video from Clinton Rogers with Dr Solomon Lebese which also talks about our local scheme and includes a brief demonstration.