Men will be offered blood pressure readings at barbershops as part of an NHS initiative to prevent heart attacks, as evidence shows they are twice as likely as women.
High blood pressure increases the chance of a heart attack, yet many men and women are unaware they are at danger since there are no symptoms.
Every year, 100,000 NHS hospital admissions are due to heart attacks, with one occurring every five minutes. Figures show that the NHS increased the number of blood pressure tests for those over 40 in the last year, but regulators have now approved a massive expansion of the scheme in England.
Community-based screenings help reach hard-to-reach populations
The free examinations will be made available to individuals in more places in an effort to detect high blood pressure early and reduce the number of heart attacks.
Patients will be able to get potentially lifesaving checks in barbershops, churches, mosques, community centers, and dominoes clubs, according to the plans.
According to research presented in Amsterdam at the world’s largest cardiac congress, males are twice as likely as women to have a heart attack.
Study findings could help improve prevention and treatment
The study, sponsored by the University of Aberdeen, looked at sex-specific risks of cardiovascular events and was presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual meeting.
Between 1993 and 2018, nearly 20,000 persons over the age of 40 in the United Kingdom were tracked. Researchers controlled for ethnicity, deprivation, BMI, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking status.
They were tracked for an average of 22 years. Men had a higher risk of heart disease than women, according to past research. This new study demonstrates the magnitude of the disparity.
The study discovered that men have a twofold higher relative risk of developing heart attacks and peripheral artery disease than women.
Men are also 50% more likely to have heart failure and atrial fibrillation. According to the study, males had a 42% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The study did not investigate why.
Men are also more likely than women to have a heart attack at a younger age
“Men had a higher risk of incident cardiovascular disease throughout their lifetime than women, but these sex differences were most pronounced for myocardial infarction and peripheral artery disease, followed by atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and cardiovascular mortality,” the study concluded.
“The advice is that men should start looking early at risk factors, like obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption, and reach out to their GP to get those things addressed,” said lead researcher Dr. Tiberiu Pana, an honorary research fellow at the University of Aberdeen and a junior doctor in the NHS.
“The sooner, the better.” There’s nothing wrong with lowering your cardiovascular risk.”
“This large study again highlights that men have heart attacks at a younger age than women,” said Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation.
“Coronary heart disease is the most common killer of men. There’s never been a better time to get physically active and replace that pub session with an extra session in the gym.”
Both Pana and Babu-Narayan, however, stressed that women face high risks of heart attacks and strokes and should take precautions to lower their risk.
“If we consider the effects of heart disease over a lifetime we need to remember that it costs lives for both men and women,” said Babu-Narayan.
“With 30,000 women in the UK admitted to hospital with a heart attack each year, it is vital to dismantle the dogma that heart attacks are the preserve of men. Regardless of gender, cardiovascular disease is the world’s biggest killer and there are steps everyone can take to reduce their risks.
“Eating a healthy, balanced diet, being physically active, managing your weight, and attending health checks when offered can all help improve your chances of being free of cardiovascular conditions.”
This will result in an additional 2.5 million checks being performed in England
The blood pressure check extension will result in an additional 2.5 million checks being performed in the community in England. The NHS expects that they will prevent approximately 1,350 cardiovascular incidents each year.
According to data, 150,000 community blood pressure checks were performed in May of this year, more than doubling the 58,000 performed in May of 2022.
David Webb, the chief pharmaceutical officer for England, said: “With the number of people living with major illnesses, including heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions set to grow substantially over the coming years, it has never been more important to put in place preventive measures like easy-to-access blood pressure checks that can pick up the early signs and risks.”