Help us research hypertension and heart health in Lambeth

18 May 2023

Written by: Lambeth Council

News and announcements

Lambeth’s Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Alliance (NWDA) want to find out about the health needs of communities of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage to help them prevent and take control of high blood pressure.

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Help us research hypertension and heart health in Lambeth

Around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure (hypertension), although many will not realise it – there are rarely noticeable symptoms.

Hypertension is a serious medical condition and can increase the risk of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases. It is a major cause of premature death worldwide, with upwards of 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women – over a billion people – having the condition. The burden of hypertension is felt disproportionately in low- and middle-income countries, where two thirds of cases are found, largely due to increased risk factors in those populations in recent decades.

But if untreated, it is a major cause of premature death. If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart, brain, kidneys and eyes.

Health impacts

Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of potentially life-threatening health conditions, like:

  • heart disease, heart attacks or heart failure

    info boxes from

    NHS information on hypertension & health inequalities

  • strokes
  • kidney disease
  • peripheral arterial disease
  • aortic aneurysms
  • vascular dementia

Hypertension in Lambeth

Lambeth’s Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Alliance (NWDA) want to work with people of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage to help them prevent and take control of high blood pressure – to carry out more blood pressure checks and find out more about their health needs. Data shows that just over 34% of Lambeth adults have higher than average blood pressure, and these are the communities are most likely to have worrying or potentially dangerous blood pressure problems.

We’ll run interviews and focus groups to discover more about the experiences of Black and multi-ethnic people. We’d like to hear from you if in the last 12 months you have:

  • had a stroke or heart attack
  • been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure), or
  • been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease
  • had a cardiovascular check up.

This information will help to shape any necessary changes to the patient pathway, for example making sure everyone has access to blood pressure checks, as well as the you tell us you need to improve your blood pressure control. We want to ensure that support is culturally appropriate for all communities.

Word from the Cabinet

Cllr Marcia Cameron, Lambeth Council Cabinet member for Healthier Communities, said: “We’re really keen to engage with our Black African, Black Caribbean and multi-ethnic communities to understand how Lambeth health services can support them better to prevent and take control of high blood pressure.

“We believe that by helping people take control of their blood pressure in Lambeth we could prevent as many as 65 strokes, stop 48 people from developing heart failure, keep 61 people safe from heart disease and save 196 lives.”

Be part of the solution

If you’re interested in helping Lambeth & the NHS with researching high blood pressure, please contact Lambeth Together within the next two weeks

Blood Pressure Testing

  • May 17 is World Hypertension Day with a message of Measure Your Blood Pressure, Control It, Live Longer