CHRIS TITLEY discovers how you can have your blood pressure checked on the way to the shops

ANYONE at any age can suffer a stroke. It can strike out of the blue, and leave the victim permanently disabled - or even dead. But there is an early warning sign: high blood pressure.

So on Saturday, designated Stroke Awareness Day, three ambulances will be on hand in different areas of York to check the blood pressure of as many residents as possible.

The event is being organised jointly by the city's three rotary clubs. The Rotary Club of York will be at the ambulance in Parliament Street, near Marks & Spencer.

Ainsty club members are with an ambulance at Tesco, Clifton Moor, and Viking volunteers will be on hand at an ambulance at Sainsbury, Monk's Cross.

The checks will be carried out between 10am and 4pm.

It is part of a national effort by the Rotary Club to get as many people's blood pressure checked in one day as possible - and get in the Guinness Book of Records in the process.

In York, the crusade is being made possible with the help of the St John Ambulance and the North Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

More volunteers are needed. York rotary clubs want to recruit nurses and doctors to give 90 minutes of their time on Saturday to take people's blood pressure.

"All the blood pressure checks will be done by professionals," says Rotary Club of York president Frank Paterson. "That's why we want to recruit as many professional volunteers as we can."

If you can help, see the details below.

Anyone found to be suffering from high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, will be given a card with the details and asked to make an appointment to see their GP.

There are some simple methods to reduce your blood persssure if it is too high, says Frank. "You can change your lifestyle, cut down on alcohol, do some more exercise, eat more vegetables and less salt."

Medication can also be prescribed to deal with the problem.

A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. Most strokes occur when a blood clot blocks an artery which is carrying blood to the brain.

Some strokes are caused by bleeding within or around the brain from a burst blood vessel. When the blood supply is disrupted, the brain cells are deprived of oxygen and other nutrients, causing some cells to become damaged and others to die.

Some members of York's Rotary Clubs have been affected to varying degrees by strokes.

"If we can persuade as many people as possible to get their blood pressure checked, it will be worthwhile," says Frank.

The check is painless and will only take two minutes.

If you are a medical professional who can spare some time to help next Saturday, please contact Jean Julian on (01904) 707316, or email her at jeanjulian@zetnet.co.uk

Stroke fact file:

- Each year more than 100,000 people in England and Wales have a first stroke. About 10,000 of these are under retirement age

- There are nearly 60,000 deaths due to stroke each year

- Around a third of people who have a stroke die within a year, a third are left with serious disabilities and the remainder make a good recovery

- Stroke is the largest single cause of severe disability in England and Wales, with more than 300,000 people being affected at any one time

- Stroke can affect anyone at any age

- High risk groups include people:

with high blood pressure;

who have had mini-strokes, heart attacks or suffer from hardening of the arteries, angina or abnormal heartbeats;

who have diabetes;

who have a close relative who died from stroke;

who smoke, are physically inactive, who drink excessively or go on drinking binges.

- Exercise and a healthy, low-salt diet can reduce the risks

For more information, see the Stroke Association's website: www.stroke.org.uk

Updated: 09:07 Monday, March 31, 2003