FIONA TAKES EUROPEAN ACTION AGAINST SURGE IN HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Local Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall is campaigning for European action to prevent a forecasted increase in high blood pressure in the region.

An increase of 60% in the number of people suffering from high blood pressure across Europe is expected by 2025. Serious effects of high blood pressure include debilitation, blindness and death from heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.

Local MEP Fiona Hall says that the North East is in a high risk category:

"30 out of every 1000 people in the Northern and Yorkshire region suffer from high blood pressure and that figure is increasing with a rise in unhealthy lifestyles and diets. 

"Serious effects of high blood pressure include death from heart attacks and strokes.

"I observed a stroke prevention event last month at a local supermarket where volunteers took shoppers' blood pressure and asked questions about their diet and lifestyle.

"An alarming amount of people who had high blood pressure and were at serious risk of a stroke where unaware that too much salt, sugar and alcohol slipping into our diets can have such a deadly effect."

The Liberal Democrat is calling on the European Commission and Council of Ministers to invest in prevention and education campaigns to encourage healthy lifestyles and healthy diets.