It's not often a trip to the mall could save your life, but a visit to Queen Street Mall might do just that. Shoppers will be offered free blood pressure checks as part of a national Stroke Foundation campaign.
Australia's Biggest Blood Pressure Check, which runs for the entire month of May, is a call to action for Aussies of all ages to roll up their sleeves and get a health check at their doctor or local pharmacy to determine if they have high blood pressure.
High blood pressure affects one in three Australian adults and only 50 per cent are aware they have it. High blood pressure is also the leading preventable cause of death in Australia, contributing to over 25,000 deaths annually.
Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr Lisa Murphy said you can't put a price tag on your health.
"Around seven million Australians have high blood pressure. Nearly half don't know it, and only 32 per cent have it under control," Dr Murphy said.
High blood pressure is the single biggest preventable risk factor for stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, and dementia.
"The good news is that high blood pressure can be managed through adopting healthier lifestyle changes or medication, but the only way to do this is through regular blood pressure checks, which is why we are calling on all Australians to get their blood pressure checked during the month of May."
"If you're in the area on Thursday, come down to Queen Street Mall between 11am and 2pm, a simple and painless blood pressure check may even save your life."
As part of the global May Measurement Month initiative, Stroke Foundation and the National Hypertension Taskforce have joined forces to tackle the issue that affects one in three Australians.
Stroke Foundation is a co-founding member of the National Hypertension Taskforce, assembled to tackle the leading risk factor of death in Australia - high blood pressure.
The Taskforce aims to increase the number of Australians with their blood pressure both treated and controlled effectively from 32 per cent to 70 per cent by 2030.
