Over 337,000 adults, aged 18-64 living in the East of England, could potentially be living daily with undiagnosed high blood pressure, increasing their chances of stroke, heart attack, kidney disease or unnecessary premature death. That’s according to a new consumer poll by national charity, Blood Pressure UK which found nearly one in ten of East of England’s population has never had their blood pressure checked.
Given salt intake is a major cause of high blood pressure and with just over one in five people surveyed (22%) living in the region consuming nearly double (12g) the NHS’s recommended amount of salt in their diet (6g), Blood Pressure UK is urging all adults (of all ages) to check their blood pressure as part of Know Your Numbers! Week (2-8th September), telling them the power is in their hands.
High blood pressure is largely symptomless and the single biggest preventable cause of death in the UK, but the more people that test themselves, ideally with a home blood pressure monitor or at a local pharmacy or GP, the more chance they have of controlling it.
Despite 86% of East of England’s population knowing that salt intake affects blood pressure, nearly 50% have never made any changes to their diet to reduce salt intake.
Furthermore, whilst 66% of the region’s population claiming to be confident in their ability to identify foods high in salt, with bacon and ham being ranked in the poll as the saltiest category (43%), respondents were less knowledgeable about how salty cheese is (7%).
To put this into context, bacon typically contains an average 3g/100g salt. Morrisons Smoked Streaky Bacon for example, contains 5.6g salt/100g – twice the concentration of seawater. In fact, two small rashers contain 0.92g of salt which is saltier than nearly 3x bags of ready salted crisps. A 2-rasher bacon bap with ketchup would make up a 1 /3 of your daily salt limit, and if you add an extra 2x rashers, that's half your recommended salt limit reached in just one meal.
In comparison, the average salt content in British Cheddar is 1.78g/100g. The highest salt cheddar from Action on Salt’s recent product survey (March 2024) found Asda’s 30% Less Fat Mature British Cheese had a whopping 2g of salt/100g.
Interestingly, whilst 36% of East of England’s population perceive plant based/vegan food to be low in salt, data from Action on Salt’s 2024 survey found the cheeses with the highest level of salt are plant-based, averaging 1.91g/100g. That’s nearly 10% saltier than Cheddar.
As a nation, if we cut one gram of salt from our average daily salt intake, this would cause a fall in blood pressure and there would be approximately 4,000 fewer premature deaths from strokes and heart attacks each year in the UK.
Phil Pyatt, CEO of Blood Pressure UK comments:
“It’s hard to believe a little bit of salt can have such an impact on our health, especially when it risks raising our blood pressure. Given this, we are urging all adults of all ages to check their blood pressure and take control of their health, along with simple improvements in diet and lifestyle such as eating less salt, more fruit and vegetables and doing more exercise.”
Dr Pauline Swift, Chair of Blood Pressure UK says:
“Reducing salt is the most cost-effective measure to lower blood pressure and reduce the number of people suffering from strokes, heart and kidney disease and life changing disabilities associated with this – all of which is completely avoidable. We hope our new government will encourage the food industry to use much less salt in their products, with strict target-enforcement.”
Hemini Bharadia, Marketing Manager for Blood Pressure UK explains:
"Having your blood pressure checked at home, at your local pharmacy or GP is a cost-effective and reliable method to manage blood pressure, with growing evidence supporting its benefits. With Know Your Numbers! Week now upon us, what better way to prioritise your health and get your blood pressure monitored for free. You have the power.”
Jack Gillies, Paramedic and Rochford District PCN's Clinical Team Leader says: “Blood pressure is one of the most preventable and treatable conditions but remains one of the leading causes of death. As an individual having your blood pressure measured is the most important step that you can take to reduce your risk of stroke, heart attack or heart failure. Make sure you get yours measured before damage is done.”
To find out more visit: bloodpressureuk.org
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