Welcome to Our 8-Week Workplace Blood Pressure Challenge!
We’re excited to launch our brand-new 8-week Blood Pressure Challenge – designed to help your team take proactive steps toward better heart health and overall wellbeing. The challenge begins with an on-site day of blood pressure testing, delivered by one of our expert wellbeing coaches, giving every participant a personal starting point.
Shortly after, participants are invited to a live wellbeing webinar, where they’ll receive practical, evidence-based advice on how to improve blood pressure through lifestyle changes, nutrition, movement, and stress management.
Over the course of eight weeks, employees will be encouraged to make meaningful health improvements. At the end of the challenge, we’ll return to conduct a second round of blood pressure testing – and the employee who shows the greatest improvement will be awarded a special prize in recognition of their efforts.
Let’s take on the challenge together – and work towards a healthier, more energised workplace.
📊 Prevalence of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
Approximately 30% of UK adults have high blood pressure, with a higher prevalence among men (34%) than women (27%).
Prevalence increases with age:
Ages 16–34: 3%
Ages 75 and over: 21%
Undiagnosed hypertension affects about 11% of adults, with higher rates among men (13%) than women (10%).
⚠️ Undiagnosed and Uncontrolled Hypertension
Up to 5 million UK adults may have undiagnosed high blood pressure.
In the South East of England, an estimated 400,000 people live with uncontrolled high blood pressure.
🧬 Risk Factors and Demographics
Age: Prevalence increases with age for both sexes, with 66% of males and 71% of females aged 75 years and over having hypertension.
Ethnicity: After accounting for age, hypertension is highest among Black Caribbean, Black African, and Pakistani adults, and lowest among Chinese and Other White backgrounds.
Socioeconomic factors: Prevalence of hypertension varies by area deprivation, ranging from 23% in the least deprived areas to 40% in the most deprived.
🩺 Health Impact
High blood pressure is responsible for more than half of all strokes and heart attacks in the UK.
Each 10 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20%.
High blood pressure costs the NHS over £2.1 billion annually.
🩹 Prevention and Management
Lifestyle changes such as reducing salt intake, increasing physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight can help manage blood pressure.
Regular monitoring is crucial, especially for adults over 40, who are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least once every five years.
Home monitoring and community initiatives like the NHS’s “Blood Pressure @home” program support individuals in tracking their blood pressure
