High blood pressure caught through screening

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects 40% of adults in the UK. As it does not normally cause any symptoms, until it reaches very high levels, it can often go undiagnosed. So when 50 year old Donald McPherson from Wirral went for a health screening feeling well, high blood pressure was the last thing on his mind.

"I have worked for CMA CGM based in Liverpool for over four years, recently moving within the Group to the claims department at MacAndrews. Last year the company signed up to the Medicash Reward health cash plan as part of the employee benefits package, which included a health screening for everybody. I have never needed to go to the doctors or worry about any health issues and so have considered myself generally healthy. So when the opportunity arose for a health screening at first I didn't think I needed to go, but as it was free I thought 'why not?'

"The Medicash screening programme was held at our office and lasted thirty minutes. During that time I underwent a general 'health MOT' which included things like completing a lifestyle questionnaire, a blood test for diabetes and cholesterol, blood pressure being checked and BMI calculated. The session was very relaxed and I wasn't particularly worried about them finding anything untoward. My cholesterol level was fine, I was only a couple of pounds overweight and so it was recommended for me to continue living the way I did, but to increase the amount of exercise I took and eat more fresh fruit and veg. However, the only thing that was surprising was my blood pressure reading as it was very high. The reading came back as 195 over 80 (195/80 mmHg), when for a healthy man of my age it should be about 150 over 85. I was told to go and wait and come back in an hour for another blood pressure test to see if it was still high. Although I wasn't anxious when the first test was taken, whilst I was waiting for the second one my mind did start to race so unsurprisingly it recorded even higher!

"All of the results from the screening were then processed by a specialist computer programme that calculated the risk of developing heart disease over the next ten years. The outcome was an emergency referral that stated I had to go and see my doctor straight away; luckily I was able to get an appointment that afternoon. My doctor ran more tests and I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. The advice given to me by the Medicash health screening practitioner as to how to stay healthy was reiterated by my doctor. In addition, I was prescribed medicines to control the condition. After a few months of trying different combinations of tablets, the right level of medication was found and my blood pressure is now perfectly normal.

"When I look back at my health before the diagnosis I was getting very bad headaches at the end of the week, but I just put this down to working in a stressful environment. After all, everything else was fine and most people get headaches don't they? I now know that they were due to having high blood pressure. My wife was quite shocked when I told her about the diagnosis, but at the same time relieved that we knew the cause of the headaches. As I have since found out, if left untreated, high blood pressure can be fatal, causing many different types of heart disease, such as a stroke, heart attack, blood clot or aneurysm. It made me realise that I wasn't invincible and I had to take responsibility for my health.

"Since the diagnosis I am doing everything I can to stay fit and healthy and look after myself. I try to do an hour power walking each day, mostly on my lunch break but sometimes in the evening as well. My wife has also changed her lifestyle and has started doing regular exercise. She says my condition has spurred her on to take more care of herself and adopt a preventative attitude to health care. We are both eating more healthily too. My outlook on life has also changed. I am much more relaxed now and worry less about the little things.

"I have certainly made the most of the other benefits provided by Medicash Reward, and have claimed a free eye test, and costs towards glasses and dental care. In fact I am constantly encouraging my colleagues to make the most of the benefits, in particular the health screening. After all, because I appeared to be healthy and doing most of the right things it was not obvious I had a problem until I had the screening.

"If it hadn't been for the Medicash health screening programme my condition may have not been discovered until it was too late. I know it sounds dramatic, but I fear I may have been found slumped over my desk in a couple of years. I can honestly say that Medicash saved my life."