WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT... high blood pressure?

Around one third of adults have raised blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

The condition rarely causes noticeable symptoms, but if untreated, it can cause serious problems such as heart attacks or strokes.

If you’re concerned, ask your

GP to check your blood pressure.

“One of the best ways to manage high blood pressure is to minimise the amount of salt in your diet,” says GP Dr Alka Patel (dralkapatel.com).

“We’re a nation of salt lovers, eating, on average, 8g a day, which is much more than the optimal level of 5g or less a day, which is about one teaspoon.”

Aim to reduce your salt consumption by looking for food with less than 100mg of salt per 100g serving.

“Or better yet, try to reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet, then there’s no need to worry about confusing food labels,” Dr Patel adds.