Nationwide BP screening to raise awareness

High blood pressure (BP) or hypertension is the most common cause of heart failure among Filipinos. Based on findings of the recent National Nutrition and Health Survey, 22 out of 100 Filipino adults (22.5 percent) are suffering from this condition.

But for something which is very prevalent and very common, very few people are informed even about the basic facts about hypertension. Local health experts are alarmed that more than 50 percent of hypertensives don’t even know that they have critically high BP.

To help raise awareness on the importance of knowing one’s BP, the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), in collaboration with the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines and Unilab, through Therapharma, is launching Blood Pressure Screening 2007 on Feb. 11. The nationwide screening is expected to break an existing record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of BP screenings done in one day.

During the event, the campaign mascot, Kapitan Presyon, will welcome everybody who will be a part of this world record-breaking event to be conducted in key cities nationwide.

Kapitan Presyon also aims to inspire everybody, especially those who are diagnosed with high blood pressure, to be mindful of monitoring and maintaining their ideal blood pressure.

An expected 5,000 people trained by the PHA will be in charge of taking the blood pressure readings of participants.

A high blood pressure reading measures the force of blood as it presses against the walls of the arteries. It is made up of two numbers that measures the heart as it pumps and as it rests.

The top number is the systolic blood pressure which measures the force of the pumping heart, whereas the bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure which measures the force of the heart at rest or in between heart pumps.

What is considered as an optimal BP is in the vicinity of 120/80 mmHg. If the blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90, one has to change his lifestyle and monitor his blood pressure regularly.

Symptoms of high BP include extreme headaches, particularly in the nape area, dizziness, racing heartbeats, breathing difficulties, nose bleeds and poor eye vision.

Yet, majority of people who are diagnosed with high BP do not have symptoms. It is a must to have one’s BP checked regularly, especially if one’s family has a history of hypertension.