Your blood pressure naturally goes up and down throughout the day and night, and it’s normal for it to go up while you’re moving about. It’s when your overall blood pressure is always high, even when you are resting, that you need to do something about it. Stage two: this is when your blood pressure is between 160/100 mmHg and 180/120 mmHg in the clinic, or over 150/95 mmHg at home. It is an individualised exercise, education and support programme built around your personal circumstances and needs. Stage three: this is when your systolic blood pressure is over 180 mmHg or your diastolic blood pressure is over 120 mmHg in the clinic. This stage is also called ‘severe hypertension’, and your GP will need to assess you urgently for further investigations. As you start to tolerate this routine, think about slowly adding new activities to your routine, or extending the amount of time you are active for. For example, you might add in a short walk or some simple strength exercises.

Watch our animation to follow Amelia on her journey through a cardiac rehab programme. What happens at cardiac rehab? Many people suffer from brain fog while recovering from Covid, and in the weeks or months afterward. You may find it hard to concentrate or remember things, your thinking may be slower than usual, or you may feel fuzzy or forgetful. If you had memory problems before catching Covid, it might feel worse than usual. Why does Covid cause brain fog? Stage one: this is when your blood pressure is between 140/90 mmHg and 160/100 mmHg in the clinic, or 135/85 mmHg to 150/95 mmHg at home. In the toughest of times, we’ve protected our research funding, made amazing discoveries and supported millions of people affected by heart and circulatory diseases. We provide research training studentships and fellowships that are a critical contribution to the UK cardiovascular research effort. Many of our alumni now hold senior research leadership positions in universities and hospitals worldwide.Your arteries are normally stretchy, so they can cope with your blood pressure going up and down. But with high blood pressure, your arteries lose their stretchiness, becoming stiff or narrow. Early CPR and defibrillation can double the chances of surviving an OHCA. Through a network of defibrillators, those having a cardiac arrest, bystanders and ambulance services will all be better connected. CPR on the school curriculum First published April 2023; updates will follow when appropriate. England mortality data are under review, pending census adjustments. Each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities have also pledged to ensure that every secondary pupil will now leave school having been trained in life saving CPR. In Wales, first aid and lifesaving skills are now also recommended in the Guidance for Schools that will accompany the implementation of the new Curriculum for Wales. The BHF is working to improve peoples’ chances of surviving a cardiac arrest by working with the NHS, the Ambulance Service and Microsoft to create The Circuit – a national network of defibrillators. The Circuit will link a UK-wide network of defibrillators to every ambulance service in the country and the public in a bid to help save more lives from OHCA.

Don’t worry if feel nervous about exercising, this is completely normal. The cardiac rehab team will be there to support and guide you, making sure you are exercising at a level that is safe for you. Information and education sessions Everyone should aim for a well-balanced diet. Strict diets are hard to sustain long term and may not provide the balance of nutrients you need. The trial involved 363 people who had experienced a lacunar stroke. As well as their standard stroke prevention treatment, participants took either isosorbide mononitrate or cilostazol individually, both drugs together, or neither, for one year. There are different ways that you can engage with your cardiac rehab programme; these may include attending a local class in-person or engaging from home (online or following a written programme) or it may be a combination of both. Your team will discuss what options are available, how long the programme will last and agree on a plan that will work best for you. In most cases, there isn't a specific reason for the cause of high blood pressure, but most people develop it because of their diet, lifestyle or medical condition.Systolic pressure: this is the higher of the two numbers. It’s the pressure against your arteries when your heart is pumping blood around your body. Cardiac rehab offers a great opportunity to meet people who are in a similar situation as yourself, share experiences and provide a support network. You may meet people at your exercise or information session. Some programmes offer specific peer support sessions, use group video calling or social media. Emotional support and wellbeing The body needs fats, but we need to think about the type of fatwe eat. Generally, we are eating too much saturated fatin the UK. Why not buy a blood pressure monitor from our online shop? All the monitors we sell are validated by the British and Irish Hypertension Society.