BAME BARBERS NETWORK AND BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING
In association with the Croydon BME Forum and Off The Record, the BAME Barbers Network are supporting their Croydon clientele to improve the detection and management of high blood pressure otherwise known as hypertension.
Trained as Blood Pressure Champions, the barbers will be offering free checks to all BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) adult men when they come for a haircut. The risk to these ethnic groups of developing high blood pressure can be higher than others and by offering blood pressure checks in their barbershops, those who may not necessarily visit their GP for a check, can have their blood pressure measured in a friendly informal environment.
PRESS RELEASES
London barbers to test blood pressure in health campaign – BBC News click here
Barbers trained to test blood pressure in health campaign for Black and Asian men – The Independent click here
South London Barbers to test blood pressure in UK first – News Shopper click here
Barbers train to test blood pressure – Thornton Heath Chronicle click here
London barbershops trained to test blood pressure in first ever UK project – The Voice click here
The barbers will be given the knowledge, confidence and equipment to carry out blood pressure monitoring with the aim of preventing longer-term health problems by supporting clients with undiagnosed high blood pressure and signposting them to find the treatment they need.
Contact details for participating barbers to follow
Barber shops reopen on Monday 12th April so get in touch to arrange your appointment.
To find out more about this project
email: debi@bmeforum.org
Did You Know?
High blood pressure is also known as the silent killer
Because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, the first sign of it could be a stroke, a heart attack, heart failure, kidney disease or dementia.
Every day in the UK, 350 people have a stroke or heart attack and 1 in 2 of them are the result of high blood pressure that could have been prevented.
One in three people in the UK live with high blood pressure
Croydon has one the highest numbers for people suffering from high blood pressure and there is support to bring it under control. With medication and lifestyle changes, such as stopping smoking, being active, careful about what you eat and alcohol intake.
Data released by Blood Pressure UK, shows that there are c.90,300 people with hypertension in the borough.
One of the simplest things you can do is know your blood pressure numbers
It is important to know your blood pressure to help you to live a long and healthy life.
When you have your blood pressure measured, you will see it is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). you will be given two numbers, a top number and a bottom number.
- Systolic blood pressure is the first, or top number. This is the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats, forcing blood around your body.
- Diastolic blood pressure is the second number, or bottom number. It is the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats.
If the first number is 120 and the second number is 80, this would be written as 120/80mmHg, and you’d call it ‘120 over 80’
Using a blood pressure chart
Once you know your numbers, you can use a blood pressure chart to see what they mean and check whether your blood pressure is in the healthy range.
The chart is suitable for adults of any age, as the cut-off point for diagnosing high blood pressure doesn’t change with age.
Simply find your top number (systolic) on the left side of the chart and your bottom number (diastolic) on the bottom. Where the two lines meet is your blood pressure.
Click here to find out more about what your readings could mean.
For more information:
http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/ (PDF FILE)
Understanding Blood Pressure Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOgciP5MMXk
