Dentists and opticians will now offer blood pressure screening in a bid to reduce Britons’ risk of heart attack or stroke.
Under the plan, more than 60 practices in England will offer the checks as part of routine appointments.
Officials estimate that 100,000 patients who would otherwise have gone undetected could be tested over the next 12 months.
Known as a “silent killer”, more than 14 million adults in the UK suffer from this potentially life-threatening condition, medically known as hypertension.
But there are thought to be around five million undiagnosed cases, according to the British Heart Foundation.
Under the plan, more than 60 practices in England will offer the checks as part of routine appointments. Officials estimate the pilot could enable 100,000 patients to be tested over the next 12 months who would otherwise not have been screened.
High blood pressure often shows no symptoms until it’s too late, but it’s also linked to an increased risk of kidney disease and even vascular dementia.
Checks will be carried out by trained staff, including dental nurses, optical assistants and technicians, at no additional cost.
The launch was announced at the European Society of Cardiology Annual Conference in London.
Helen Williams, NHS national clinical director for cardiovascular disease prevention, said: ‘These convenient checks at dentists and optometrists will enable thousands of people to monitor their blood pressure and could potentially save lives.
‘Many healthy people over 40 only visit their GP when they are feeling unwell, but offering these vital checks as part of routine dental appointments or eye tests means we can identify and help more people at risk.
‘High blood pressure is a major factor in many cardiovascular diseases, but because it usually has no symptoms, many people don’t know they have it, so I would urge anyone who is offered a test to come forward.’
Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, added: “It is worrying that up to 4.2 million people in England may be living with high blood pressure and not know it.
‘High blood pressure is usually easy to treat, which is why it is vital to get it checked.
‘Blood pressure tests are very simple and easy, so if your dentist or optician can provide them, take the opportunity to have them done – it could save your life.
Health officials are concerned about the rise in cardiac deaths among men since the pandemic, as men are less likely than women to take up the offer of a screening.
However, dental chiefs warned that adequate funding will be needed for the scheme to work effectively.
British Dental Association president Eddie Crouch said: ‘Smart investment here could prevent disease and save our NHS a fortune.
‘Dentists are willing to do their part, but any gains will be purely theoretical without the funding and reform needed to save this service.’
The latest NHS figures also show that around 26 million adults (about 60 per cent of the population) have not had a check-up in the past two years.
This is one of the lowest proportions since modern records began in 2006.
NHS dentistry has been in crisis for years, with leaders saying the sector has been chronically underfunded, making it financially unviable to deliver treatments.
Compounding the problem is that as more dentists leave the NHS, those who remain are overwhelmed by ever more patients.
More patients eager for an NHS dentist turned up today, but were met with a sign on the door reading: “We are not enrolling any more patients.” Pictured is the sign that was outside St Pauls Dental Practice earlier this year
The crisis in NHS dentistry has been brewing for years, with some Britons forced to pull out their own teeth with pliers or travel abroad to see a dentist because of a lack of places in the UK. Others have queued since 4am for a place at dental surgeries that have opened their lists to NHS patients. Pictured is the queue of people outside Saint Pauls dental practice in St Paul’s, Bristol, which police were forced to break up earlier this year.
Britons have also told how they have been on waiting lists for months and travelled abroad to see a dentist after finding it impossible to get an appointment on the NHS, criticising the system as “Victorian”.
Others have been forced to pull out their teeth with pliers or travel abroad for treatment.
This comes after the NHS also announced last week that it would be rolling out health MoTs in offices and factories from next month as part of a major drive to detect heart disease and diabetes early.
Screenings including blood pressure, BMI and blood tests for cholesterol and blood sugar will be offered to middle-aged workers, from bus drivers to care workers.
Health chiefs hope that by targeting 130,000 people in their workplaces, they will reach those most at risk.
Thanks to the launch of Pharmacy First earlier this year, nine out of ten pharmacies in England now offer these checks.
Between January and June, 1.4 million tests were carried out without an appointment.