Does anyone know whether there're hypertension support groups in Wales?

Hi Derek,

Thanks a lot. I was looking for some local communities (whether online or offline) where people living with hypertension in Wales would go to learn and discuss about how to self-manage it and deal with day to day challenges. 

I work in Swansea University and have got some funding to run a series of workshops with people living with hypertension and clinicians. We have the funding and technology and people here to create interventions that patients can use and benefit from. But first thing first, we need to know what challenges are there when living with hypertension and managing it on a day to day basis, possibly with other chronic conditions as well.

I've tried to approach them via 50+ networks and a couple of other local communities, but nothing really come out of it. If the workshops do not happen by July, we will lost the chance to really involve people who will be the potential user of an intervension in the very beginning phase of designing it.

Anyway, I'll see whether I can talk to Wales Heart Research Institute and take it from there.

Thanks a lot for the information.

Best

Karen

 

Unfortunately I know from having had it for 14 years that it is an ignored condition. GP's do not have time to do anything as such a large percentace of patients have it. Some run what they call a hypertension clinic but not much happens apart from taking BP and repeating standard advice.

There are a lot of Forums as here and on the British Heart Foundation but most people would not know about them.

The British Hypertension Society is mainly for hearlth professionals. 

That is an unfortunate situation.

I've read about the high pervelance of hypertension in many papers. Stanford University has a Chronic Disease Self-Management Program where they teach people how to deal with various chronic conditions. From an assessment report of 2013, you can see that more than 50% of their trainees have hypertension.

The problem is that, people like these are also managing other conditions that are more pressing than hypertension. Somebody said to me that amongst all conditions he's tring to manage, hypertension is the least of his worries.

On the other hand, there are more healthy people starting to get hypertension that might gradually develop other conditions because of it. But because the symptoms of hypertension may not be as noticable early on, it doesn't pose as a strong argument for people to quickly adapt and adjust their way of living.

I've tried to contact BHS as well. They put me in contact with some professionals that may be interested in collaboration, but no individuals who have personal experence with hypertension have shown their interest.

Have just joined the BHF forum. I guess there are plenty enthusiastic individuals on the forum that are ready to help and share their experience. However, to take time out of their lives and physically travel to Wales, even if the funding covers their participation, is a challenge.

I was in the Freeman hospital in Newcastle once for a couple of days for laser surgery on my prostate. Speaking to the nurses male and female and all probably under 35 most said that they had high BP readings.

If the health message is not heeded by nursing staff what hope for the general public.

A factor in lack of BP treatment is probably that GP's are paid to monitor diabetic patients and devote time annual checkups that take the practice nurse about forty minutes. Hypertension is obviously measured and advised on at the same time.

Thank you so muck Derek. Just contacted one of the support group (not strictly hypertension though, but worth a shot) around Swansea area. The gentleman was very friendly and agreed to pass on my call for collaborators to their members.

Hypertension seems to sneak up on some people and suddenly happen with others. My GP used to check mine on ocasion and it was OK. It had been OK in the August and was also normal when checked at a hospital prior to a prostate biopsy in the November. After the biopsy it was 180/?? but as the nurse taking said, No wonder after what you've just been through.... with an incompetent urologist.

Then three months later It was 210/110. 

My blood glucose levels were also OK but I started to take Manuka Honey instead of a PPI to relieve heartburn. Suddenly I was glucose intolerant and treated in the same way as a T2 diabetic patient. Who knows what else is lurking beneath the surface?

When I had a scan to check my gall bladder it was OK but I was found to have a small aortic aneurysm.  A thorough medical examination at my first attempt to get on the remal denervation trial discovered my aortic stenosis and led to valve replacement.