 People should have their blood pressure checked |
Many people with high blood pressure are not being treated properly, leading to unnecessary deaths, a watchdog says. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence says thousands of strokes and heart attacks could be avoided with better detection and treatment.
It has outlined the best ways for GPs to manage hypertension, which affects some 40% of British adults.
This could lead to a hike in drug costs through more prescribing, but NICE believes there would be net savings.
Silent killer
At least 10 million people in the UK have high blood pressure, but because most will not have any symptoms, it is often inadequately treated, NICE says.
Many people do not realise they have it and many of those who do are not getting the best treatment, it adds.
High blood pressure is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, including strokes and heart attacks, which accounts for 30% of all deaths each year.
The new guidelines make key recommendations to help doctors spot people with high blood pressure and treat it before it causes damage.
Anyone found to have raised blood pressure will be asked to return to their GP surgery for thorough medical checks and treatment if necessary.
Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of the Blood Pressure Association, welcomed the guidance but said he now wanted to see more focus within the NHS on addressing why less than 10% of people in the UK have a blood pressure controlled to the target level of 140/90 mmHg.
"More than 120,000 people each year could be saved from suffering a stroke or heart attack simply by better blood pressure control," he said.
Dr Wendy Ross, a GP who helped develop the NICE guidelines, said: "This guideline offers us clear guidance about whom to treat and how to go about it."
Dr Jeremy Pearson from the British Heart Foundation said the guidance was a "very valuable step forward".
"This will significantly reduce the numbers dying from and living with cardiovascular disease in future."
Dr Richard Barker from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: "Medicines have a key role to play in achieving these aims."
He said the number of prescriptions for anti-hypertension medicines had increased five-fold over the last decade.
Between 1991 and 1992 there was a 27% fall in the number of hospital patient-days spent treating hypertension, he said.
NICE also produced guidelines to help GPs treat patients with the indigestion symptom termed dyspepsia.
It said many of these patients could manage themselves with treatments and advice from pharmacists.
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More than 120,000 people each year could be saved from suffering a stroke or heart attack simply by better blood pressure control 
