By Kate Pickles Health Correspondent For The Daily Mail
Published: 00:03 BST, 3 May 2019 | Updated: 00:16 BST, 3 May 2019
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Millions of people are at risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke – but have no idea of the danger, experts have warned.
Four million people under the age of 65 are believed to be living with untreated high blood pressure, said the British Heart Foundation.
This includes 1.3million under the age of 45. The charity described the condition as a 'ticking timebomb' and urged people to get blood pressure checked.
Four million people in the UK are living with undiagnosed high blood pressure - and 1.3million of them are under the age of 45
High blood pressure affects around one in three adults – more than 14million people. Of those, around nine million have been diagnosed by their GP.
The undiagnosed – and therefore untreated – sufferers total five million comprising four million under 65 and a million over this age.
Often referred to as a silent killer, high blood pressure is not usually accompanied by symptoms so many sufferers are unaware they have it.
If untreated, it can significantly raise the risk of heart attack and stroke – and is also linked with an increased risk of vascular dementia.
Who gets high blood pressure?
High blood pressure can affect anyone, but the high-risk groups are people with a family history of the condition and those with diabetes,
