A cross-party group and the British Heart Foundation have revealed the extent of people living with high blood pressure across Scotland, in a new report.
The report ‘Beating High Blood Pressure: Scotland’s Silent Killer’ outlined recommendations which the Scottish Government could take to tackle issues associated with heart disease.
Local MSP Rachael Hamilton is a member of the Cross Party Group on Heart Disease and Stroke, which convened an advisory panel of experts to conduct an inquiry and produce a report.
In the constituency of Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire alone, there are 11,466 people who have high blood pressure, 3,677 living with heart disease and 2,058 have had a stroke or TIA (transient ischaemic attack).
The report concluded that improved prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure are important to reducing the number of cases of cardiovascular disease across Scotland.
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP, Rachael Hamilton said:
“The figures from the British Heart Foundation reveal the extent of people living with heart disease across the Borders.
“The main conclusion of the report, to create a national High Blood Pressure Task force is one which I welcome and would help identify the course of action required to reduce the number of people living with heart disease.
“I would also like to see more early intervention and the taking up advice after they are diagnosed with high blood pressure”.