Help research high blood pressure and heart health in Lambeth

News - 30 May 2023

Lambeth’s Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Alliance (NWDA) want to find out about the health needs of communities of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage to help them prevent and take control of high blood pressure.
A woman having her blood pressure taken

Around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure (hypertension) but many don't realise as there are rarely clear symptoms. It is a serious medical condition that can increase the risk of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases and, if left untreated, can cause premature death. If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart, brain, kidneys and eyes. Persistent high blood pressure can increase the risk of conditions like:

  • heart disease, heart attacks or heart failure
  • strokes
  • kidney disease

  • peripheral arterial disease (a build-up of fatty deposits in arteries that restricts blood supply to leg muscles)

  • aortic aneurysms (a bulge or swelling in the aorta, the main blood vessel that runs from the heart down through the chest and tummy.)

  • vascular dementia (changes to memory, thinking, and behavior resulting from conditions that affect the blood vessels in the brain)

Hypertension in Lambeth

Lambeth’s Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Alliance (NWDA) want to work with people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage to help them prevent and take control of high blood pressure – to carry out more blood pressure checks and find out more about their health needs. Data shows that just over 34% of Lambeth adults have higher than average blood pressure, and these are the communities most likely to have worrying or potentially dangerous blood pressure problems.

The NWDA will run interviews and focus groups to discover more about the experiences of Black and multi-ethnic people and would like to hear from you if in the last 12 months you have:

  • had a stroke or heart attack
  • been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure), or
  • been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease
  • had a cardiovascular check up.

This information will help shape changes to the patient pathway, for example, making sure everyone has access to blood pressure checks, and ensure that support is culturally appropriate for all communities.

Be part of the solution

If you’re interested in helping Lambeth & the NHS with researching high blood pressure, please contact Lambeth Together within the next two weeks

Blood Pressure Testing

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