Stroke Prevention Day - raising awareness of the risk of high blood pressure

Posted: 30/01/2025

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and severe long-term disability in the UK and high blood pressure is the biggest single risk factor for stroke, playing a role in around half of all cases. The focus of Stroke Prevention Day 2025 is therefore to raise awareness of the risks of high blood pressure and encourage adults to get their blood pressure checked regularly. Anyone with a high reading can then use that knowledge to take steps to reduce their blood pressure before it has a negative effect on their health.  

How does high blood pressure increase the risk of a stroke? 

It is perfectly normal for blood pressure to vary throughout the day, depending on how active you are. However, a diagnosis of high blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, means the blood pressure stays high for a long period of time. This means that, as the heart pumps blood around the body, the force of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels is consistently too high. Over time, this causes damage and the blood vessels can narrow, break or leak. Atherosclerosis can develop which is when the vessels become narrower, due to a build-up of fatty material. Persistent and prolonged high blood pressure can also damage blood vessels inside the brain, including the tiny blood vessels deep within the brain. Damage to these vessels is known as small vessel disease and is a risk factor for stroke.  

There are two types of stroke and hypertension can be a contributing factor to both, as follows: 

• Ischemic strokes are caused by a blockage from a blood clot. Clots can form on the fatty material that builds up in the blood vessels and, if a clot develops, breaks off and travels to the brain, it can block the blood flow to the brain, causing a stroke. Blood clots can also cause a transient ischaemic attack (TIA or mini stroke) by blocking blood flow to the brain temporarily, but then moving so blood flow is restored, and the symptoms only last a short time.
• Haemorrhagic strokes are caused by a leaking or burst blood vessel in the brain.  Blood vessels become weaker if they are under constant strain and the build up of pressure over time causes them to rupture. An intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is when blood leaks into the brain tissue, whereas a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is when blood leaks onto the surface of the brain and gets into the protective layer of fluid surrounding the brain, the subarachnoid space.  

Risk factors for high blood pressure 

High blood pressure is more likely to occur as people get older, in people of black African or black Caribbean heritage, and for people with a family history of hypertension. Certain health conditions, medications and lifestyle factors, such as smoking, being overweight, poor diet, and drinking too much alcohol, can also increase the risk of high blood pressure.  

Some risk factors cannot be changed, such as family history, ethnicity, advancing age and certain medical conditions. However, people with these risk factors should be carefully monitored to ensure that any hypertension is appropriately treated with medication.  

How to reduce the risk of high blood pressure 

As well as taking medication, for some people, lifestyle changes can help reduce blood pressure, including:

• maintaining a healthy diet, for example by reducing salt intake and alcohol consumption
• stopping smoking  
• being more active
• being a healthy weight
• reducing stress (although not directly linked, stress can perpetuate other risk factors).

Sarah Hibberd, an associate in Penningtons Manches Cooper’s clinical negligence team, who specialises in claims relating to the treatment of strokes,  comments: "There are around 100,000 strokes every year in the UK, resulting in over 38,000 deaths. As hypertension is one of the biggest causes of stroke, it is vitally important that people ensure they are having regular blood pressure checks, especially those with specific risk factors. Anyone diagnosed with hypertension can work with their doctor to ensure action is taken and, depending on the severity, this may include taking prescribed medication or introducing lifestyle changes. By taking steps to reduce high blood pressure, people are also reducing their risk of suffering a stroke.    

"Our team works with clients who have suffered life-changing injuries due to delayed diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure, as well as the delayed diagnosis and treatment of stroke symptoms. Left untreated, the impact of sustained hypertension can be devastating. We recently settled a claim for a client whose GP did not appropriately review and follow up on high blood pressure readings, meaning his high blood pressure persisted untreated for years, and he eventually suffered a haemorrhagic stroke causing hemiparesis."

If you are concerned about the standard of care that has been provided to you or to a member of your family, please contact our specialist team of stroke claims specialists who can advise on the available options.  

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