Stroke and Health Awareness Day 2009

The event

Rotary Know Your Blood Pressure Day 2009 will see over 400 Rotary clubs taking to the high streets to take the public's blood pressure.

On average, the awareness day sees around 13,500 people step up to have their blood pressure taken, with just under 3,000 being advised to see their GP for more tests and a further 196 urged to seek medical advice immediately. It's fair to say that over the years, this event has prevented thousands of people suffering the sometimes fatal and often disabling consequences of a stroke.

Rotary Know Your  Blood Pressure Day is run in partnership with The Stroke Association to help people better understand the relation between high blood pressure (hypertension) and stroke. It is estimated that 40% of the 150,000 strokes suffered by people in the U.K each year could be prevented. This condition can easily be controlled.

Rotary recognises that one of the biggest challenges is to help people understand that strokes don't just happen to other people. They can happen to anyone, at any age and the biggest single risk is high blood pressure. Rotarian volunteers play an invaluable role in reaching out to people, encouraging them to have regular checks and take action when needed.

Rotary clubs run their blood pressure check events in church halls, supermarkets, shopping centres, libraries and leisure centres, usually assisted by a small team of health professionals, perhaps a GP or practice nurse.