May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from the UK and the Republic of Ireland

Raised blood pressure (BP) was the biggest contributor to the global burden of disease in 2017, with lack of awareness and adequate control of BP identified as the main drivers of this disease burden. In 2017, an opportunistic BP screening and awareness campaign called May Measurement Month (MMM) in the UK and Republic of Ireland (RoI) highlighted that levels of undiagnosed hypertension and uncontrolled hypertension in the community screened were approximately 23% and 40%, respectively. MMM18 was undertaken to further the campaign’s efforts to increase awareness and create an evidence base of population risk associated with high BP. MMM18 BP screenings were conducted in the community at places of worship, supermarkets, GP surgeries, workplaces, community pharmacies, gyms, and various other public places. A total of 5000 volunteers, aged 47.3 (±17.2) years, 60% female were screened. Of all 5000 individuals screened, 1716 (34.3%) were hypertensive, of which only 51.3% were aware of their condition, 42.8% on antihypertensive treatment, and only 51.5% of those on medication controlled to target BP of <140/90 mmHg. Furthermore, obese, overweight, and underweight participants all had significantly higher BP values compared to individuals with a healthy body mass index (BMI). The 2018 MMM campaign in the UK and the RoI confirmed approximately one in three adults were hypertensive, with more than half having uncontrolled BP. In addition, these findings show that people with low BMI are at risk of having high BP. Finally, with only one in two people aware of their high BP, awareness remains a significant public health concern.