§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Government are making towards their target on hypertension. [130110]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonHigh blood pressure is addressed through the national service framework (NSF) for coronary heart disease, which identifies the importance of prevention, detection and effective treatment of high blood pressure.
467WNational Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the management of hypertension in primary care to be published in February 2004, and the new general medical services contract, will further support national health service action to tackle high blood pressure.
It is also essential that individuals across the population be made aware of the risks associated with high blood pressure and the importance of regular testing. The Department has contributed to the funding of the Blood Pressure Association's national blood pressure testing week in September 2002 and again this year. This voluntary screening event offers people the chance to visit temporary blood pressure testing stations in order to check their own blood pressure numbers and find out more about high blood pressure.
The Department, working jointly with the Food Standards Agency, has called on industry to take a lead in reducing salt in processed foods and together will lead a salt stakeholders meeting to highlight the role of all sectors including industry health and consumer bodies.
Wider initiatives, such as five-a-day, to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and the recently formed, cross-government activity co-ordination team to increase mass participation in physical activity and sport, also have the potential to reduce the risk of high blood pressure in individuals.