--- title: "Six in 10 People With High Blood Pressure Have Never Been Diagnosed: Where to Get a Free Check and 7 Ways to Lower It" description: Most people with high blood pressure in England have never been diagnosed. What counts as high, where to get a free check and 7 ways to lower it. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-11-07T20:05:03.141Z updated: 2026-11-07T20:31:47.798Z canonical: https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/undiagnosed-high-blood-pressure-free-check image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-39192345.webp categories: Health, Everyday Wellness content_type: Guide region: United Kingdom publication: Rich Health Magazine schema_type: Article --- A study of 1.4 million adults in England, published on 2nd October 2026, found that 37 per cent had high blood pressure. Of those, 59 per cent had never been diagnosed and were not taking any treatment. Among people already on blood pressure medicine, half still had readings of 140/90 or higher. High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms, so the only way to find it is to measure it. Left untreated, it raises your risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease and vascular dementia, and it is linked to around half of all heart attacks and strokes in the UK. Found early, it can be brought down with changes to how you eat, move and drink, and with medicine where you need it. ## What Counts as High Blood Pressure A reading has two numbers. The top number is the pressure as your heart pushes blood out, and the bottom number is the pressure as your heart rests between beats. - A reading of 140/90 or higher at a GP surgery or pharmacy counts as high. - At home, the threshold is 135/85 or higher. - For most adults, the ideal reading sits between 90/60 and 120/80. ## Who Is Most at Risk Your risk rises with age. In the study, high blood pressure affected 15 per cent of adults aged 18 to 39 and 71 per cent of those aged 80 and over, and men were affected more often than women. You are also at higher risk if close relatives have high blood pressure, if you are of Black African, Black Caribbean or South Asian background, or if you eat a lot of salt, are overweight, smoke, drink heavily or live with long-term stress. Younger adults are the easiest group to miss. More than one in seven adults under 40 had high blood pressure, and this age group is not invited for an NHS Health Check. ## Free Blood Pressure Checks at Pharmacies If you are 40 or over, you should have your blood pressure checked at least every five years. In England, many pharmacies offer a free NHS check to adults over 40 who have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, with no GP referral needed. You can [find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks](https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/pharmacies/find-a-pharmacy-that-offers-free-blood-pressure-checks/) on the NHS website. The check takes a few minutes with a cuff around your upper arm. If your reading is high, the pharmacist may ask you to wear a portable monitor for 24 hours, which records your blood pressure as you go about your day and gives a truer picture than a single reading. You can also have your blood pressure measured at your GP surgery, and some supermarket pharmacies, workplaces and community events offer free checks. If you are under 40 and have any of the risk factors above, ask your GP surgery or pharmacist about a check. ## Cut Back on Salt Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day, about one teaspoon. The average working-age adult in England eats 8.4g, around 40 per cent more. Most of that salt is already in the food you buy, so check labels on bread, sauces, crisps, pickles, ready meals and processed meats. Our guide to [outsmarting hidden sodium](https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/craving-showdown-outsmart-hidden-sodium-for-a-happier-healthier-heart) shows where it hides. ## Move Every Day Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking or cycling, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Combine it with strength exercises twice a week. Even short daily walks count, and our guide to [keeping up a daily winter walk](https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/winter-walking-benefits) will help you through the dark months. ## Eat More Fruit and Vegetables Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. They are rich in potassium, which helps your body balance the effect of salt, and getting it from food works better than taking supplements. Low-fat dairy as part of a balanced diet also helps. ## Drink Less Alcohol and Caffeine Keep alcohol within 14 units a week, spread over several days, with some alcohol-free days each week. Cut back on caffeine if you drink a lot of coffee, tea or energy drinks. ## Manage Your Weight If you are overweight, losing even a small amount lowers your blood pressure. A realistic first goal is 10 per cent of your body weight, reached through small changes you can keep up instead of an extreme diet. ## Stop Smoking Smoking narrows your arteries and raises your risk of heart attack and stroke. Your GP surgery or pharmacy can refer you to a free NHS stop smoking service. ## Take Your Medicine as Prescribed If your blood pressure is very high, stays high despite these changes or puts you at higher risk of complications, your GP is likely to prescribe medicine. Most are a single tablet a day. Never stop a blood pressure medicine without talking to your GP first. Keeping your blood pressure healthy in midlife protects your brain as well as your heart. Normal blood pressure in midlife is [linked to more dementia-free years](https://richhealthmagazine.com/article/midlife-risk-factors-13-dementia-free-years) later in life. ## When to Get Urgent Help Call 999 if you have chest pain that does not go away, pain that spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or chest pain with sweating, sickness, light-headedness or breathlessness. Call NHS 111 if you often have headaches or blurred vision, or chest pain that comes and goes. ## FAQ **Q: Why is my blood pressure high but I have no symptoms?** High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms, even when it is high enough to strain your heart and damage your arteries and kidneys over time. For that reason millions of people have it without realising. Very rarely, high blood pressure causes headaches, blurred vision or chest pain. The only way to find out your blood pressure is to have it measured. **Q: Can you bring high blood pressure down without medication?** Often, yes, particularly if your readings are only slightly raised. Eating less salt, being active for at least 150 minutes a week, losing weight if you are overweight, drinking less alcohol and stopping smoking all lower blood pressure. If your blood pressure is very high, or stays high despite these changes, your GP is likely to recommend medicine as well. Never stop a prescribed medicine without talking to your GP. **Q: What can untreated high blood pressure do to you?** Over time, high blood pressure strains your heart and damages your blood vessels. Untreated, it raises your risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease and vascular dementia. In the UK, it is linked to around half of all heart attacks and strokes.