HEALTH: Two-thirds of over-50s have the ‘silent killer’ condition but many are totally unaware of it

Two thirds of people over the age of 50 in Ireland have high blood pressure, but almost half are unaware of it – sparking calls for a nationwide awareness campaign.

The Irish Heart Foundation says this information gap can cause preventable heart events and strokes, and is calling for a five-year drive to tackle it.

The charity insists there is an urgent need to reverse the prevalence of the condition – also called hypertension – and a key risk factor in stroke, the third highest cause of death in Ireland.

Experts call it a ‘silent killer’ because almost a half of sufferers are unaware they have it.

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