Health Check: What does it all mean?
Here in the pharmacy, we can help measure and monitor your body's health. As we get older, we have a higher risk of developing something dangerous like high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. By keeping an eye on your vital signs and visiting the pharmacy and doctor regularly, we can work together to spot early signs and prevent serious vascular diseases from happening to you.
At Kings Pharmacy, we will measure:
Blood Pressure Height, Weight & BMI
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of relative size based on the mass and height of an individual.
Blood pressure readings are recorded in two numbers (i.e. 120/80 mm Hg), the top number is the Systolic Pressure and the lower is the Diastolic Pressure.
The systolic reading shows the measurement of pressure in the arteries when the heat contracts or beats.
The diastolic reading shows the measurement of pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats refilling with blood.
High blood pressure (hypertension) affects one in three adults in the UK and, if left untreated, it can lead to heart problems, strokes and damage to other vital organs. Therefore, it's crucial to be aware of the risks and how you can reduce them.
All adults are at risk of high blood pressure. Many people don’t have any symptoms of high blood pressure so a check-up is the only way to see if there is a problem.
Although all adults are at risk, people who fall into any of the below categories are at a higher risk of increased blood pressure:
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Age – more than 50% of people over the age of 60 have high blood pressure
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You have a family history of high blood pressure or heart disease
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You’re overweight and don’t do much exercise
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You’re of Asian or African-Caribbean descent
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You drink more than 2-3 units of alcohol a day for women, or 3-4 units for men
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Your diet includes a lot of salt – processed foods are often high in salt
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You don’t eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
Our pharmacy team will be happy to discuss any blood pressure concerns you have.
Blood Glucose
Having too much glucose in your blood may indicate you are at risk of diabetes.
We offer a simple finger prick test that will let you know if your blood glucose level is too high. While this test does not diagnose diabetes, a high test result may indicate a possibility of diabetes, thus allowing you to seek help and advice.
Type 1 diabetes is a non-preventable disease and the causes are not known.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with multiple risk factors, including having a close family history of diabetes or being overweight/obese.
Kings Pharmacy can help you understand the importance of medications that you may have been prescribed by your doctor to help control your diabetes.
Our trained pharmacist can advise you on diet and excercise to help combat early signs of type 2 diabetes.