Lynda Sutton, a 59-year-old gym receptionist, is supporting a new Irish Heart Foundation campaign asking adults to have their blood pressure checked with their GP or local pharmacy.
The Before Damage is Done campaign aims to drive awareness of the link between high blood pressure and heart disease and stroke.
Two out of three over-50s are affected by the silent killer, however, as it is symptomless, many don’t know they have it.
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Lynda, from Donabate in North Dublin, told RSVP: “I thought I was invincible, but really, I could have been a ticking time bomb.
“I thought I was healthy before, but I have completely changed my diet. I’m eating plenty of fruit and veg and no salt.
“If the dog was sick, I would take her to the vet but if I was sick, I would never go to the doctor. That’s changed now and I know how important it is to get your blood pressure checked.”
Thankfully, her condition was discovered when the driver of the Irish Heart Foundation Mobile Health Unit parked near her local library in March and encouraged her to get a free heart health check.
She was advised to see her GP after severely high blood pressure was detected and she was put on medication.
“I told him I didn’t have stress or anxiety, I ate healthily and exercised with spin classes in the mornings," said Lynda.
“There is no high blood pressure in my family that I know of.”
Research conducted shows that Ireland has one of the lowest rates of awareness, treatment and control of high blood pressure among 12 other high-income countries.
Dr Angie Brown, Medical Director, and consultant cardiologist with the Irish Heart Foundation, said thousands of people unwittingly go about their daily lives with high blood pressure.
“The only way of finding out is to get it checked with your GP or local pharmacy as you will, most likely, have no symptoms,” she said.
“It is one of the most important risk factors for heart disease and stroke but there are many factors that affect your risk.”
Research conducted for the Irish Heart Foundation shows that while many people know that high blood pressure is a risk factor leading to the development of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, there is a lack of awareness of other serious outcomes – such as dementia, kidney disease and some forms of blindness.
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