About a quarter of those who had their blood pressure checked at a wellbeing event were recommended for a further health check.

The Rotary Club of Dartmouth, in conjunction with Dartmouth Caring, held the drop-in event on Saturday, April 22, which attracted 112 people. The Know Your Blood Pressure event is a national Stroke Association sponsored initiative.

Of those tested, 28 were recommended to seek a medical referral within one month and three people were advised to get help immediately.

Slightly more women - 56 per cent - than men took up the offer of a free blood pressure check at the Community Corner Cafe in the Old Market.

Participants ranged in age from 13 to 86-years-old. Only seven people were smokers and 17 per cent of those tested were already suffering from high blood pressure, while six per cent knew they had an irregular heartbeat.

Dartmouth Rotarians organised the administration and provided the manpower, with members on the street to explain what was happening and to encourage the public to participate.

Dartmouth Caring provided the professional expertise needed to undertake the blood pressure monitoring and loaned some of the equipment to run the event.

Rotarian Keith Barker, who organised the event, said that despite the town being surprisingly quiet after Easter, it had been a great success and it had provided a great opportunity to highlight the importance of knowing your blood pressure and how problems can affect people of all ages.

“We are particularly grateful to Dartmouth Caring for their help and assistance during the day,” he added.