The 10-minute health check every Australian should have this month

After a life-changing stroke forced him to relearn how to walk and tie his shoelaces, school principal Shane Elliott is urging others to take blood pressure health seriously. Photo: supplied.

Australians are being encouraged to set aside just ten minutes this month for a routine blood pressure check that could prevent serious long-term health issues.

Throughout May, health experts are calling on people of all ages to visit their GP or local pharmacy for a blood pressure screening.

The push comes as data reveals a significant gap in public awareness: while high blood pressure affects one in three Australians, nearly half of those living with the condition have no idea they are at risk.

Stroke Foundation chief executive Dr Lisa Murphy said hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often dubbed a “silent killer” because it rarely shows obvious symptoms until a major event, such as a stroke or heart attack, occurs.

“High blood pressure is the single biggest preventable risk factor for stroke, heart disease, kidney disease and dementia,” she said.

“The good news is that high blood pressure can be managed through adopting healthier lifestyle changes or medication, but the only way to do this is through regular blood pressure checks.”

The condition contributes to more than 25,000 deaths annually and remains a primary risk factor for heart disease and dementia.

For school principal Shane Elliott, the danger became a reality in 2014 when he collapsed at work.

Despite being diagnosed with the condition years earlier, he admitted he had not taken the risks seriously until he was forced to spend eight weeks in the hospital relearning how to walk and tie his shoelaces.

“I did not know there was a link between high blood pressure and stroke, or that having high blood pressure could significantly increase my risk of stroke,” Elliott said. “That lack of awareness changed my life forever.

“Get your blood pressure checked. It takes minutes, it costs nothing, and it could save your life.”

Stroke Foundation is a co-founding member of the National Hypertension Taskforce, which is working to more than double the number of Australians with effectively controlled blood pressure by 2030.