Know Your Numbers: what your blood pressure can tell you about your health

Know Your Numbers! Week takes place from 7–13 September 2026. This year, Drinkaware is supporting Blood Pressure UK to encourage people of all ages to check their blood pressure, and to understand how alcohol can affect it. 

Date Published

7th September 2026

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You might know your age, your height, your weight, and even your daily step count. But do you know your blood pressure? 

For many people, the answer is no. And that matters because high blood pressure often has no obvious symptoms. You can feel completely well while your blood pressure is putting extra strain on your heart and blood vessels. 

That’s why Know Your Numbers! Week, running from 7–13 September, is so important. 

The annual campaign, led by Blood Pressure UK, is the UK’s biggest free blood pressure testing and awareness campaign. Its aim is simple: to help more people find out their numbers and take action to protect their health. 

Why does blood pressure matter? 

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps it around your body. 

While some pressure is essential, consistently high levels over time increase the risk of serious conditions, including: 

  • Heart attacks 

  • Strokes 

  • Kidney disease 

The challenge is that high blood pressure is often described as a “silent” condition. There may be no warning signs that something is wrong, so you cannot rely on how you feel to know whether your blood pressure is healthy. 

Blood Pressure UK estimates that around 4.2 million adults in the UK are living with high blood pressure without knowing it. That is why checking your blood pressure is so important. 

What does alcohol have to do with blood pressure? 

There are lots of factors that can influence blood pressure, including your age, family history, weight, diet, and how active you are. Alcohol can also play a part. 

Drinking less alcohol can therefore be one part of a healthier lifestyle and can help reduce some of the health risks associated with drinking. 

You don't necessarily need to make big changes overnight. Small, realistic changes can help you take greater control of your drinking. 

For example, you could: 

  • Add drink-free days to your weekly routine 

  • Choose low-alcohol or alcohol-free alternatives for your usual drinks 

  • Downsize your serve (e.g., opt for a small glass of wine or a half-pint) 

  • Track your units to get an accurate picture of your habits 

  • Set achievable weekly goals to cut back gradually 

The gap between knowing and doing 

Research by Blood Pressure UK highlights a worrying gap between awareness of high blood pressure and actually checking it. 

More than four in ten UK adults (43%) don't know their current blood pressure reading, while almost a third (31%) don't check it regularly.1 

Most people understand that high blood pressure can have serious consequences. For example, 84% know that it can lead to heart attacks and 79% associate it with strokes.2 

But there are still important misconceptions. 

Nearly half (49%) mistakenly believe that high blood pressure comes with clear symptoms.3 In reality, you can have high blood pressure without knowing it. 

The message is simple: don't wait until you feel unwell to check your blood pressure. 

You don't have to wait until you're older 

High blood pressure becomes more common with age, but it isn't something that only affects older people. 

This year's Know Your Numbers! Week campaign is encouraging adults of all ages – including people in their 20s and 30s – not to wait until they feel unwell before getting their blood pressure checked. 

Checking your blood pressure is quick, painless, and easy: 

  • At your local pharmacy: many offer free or low-cost checks 

  • At your GP surgery: request a routine check or routine health checkup 

  • At home: use a digital, validated home blood pressure monitor 

Note: Blood Pressure UK recommends that adults over 40 get their blood pressure checked at least once a year. 

Find out more about Know Your Numbers! Week and how to check your blood pressure through Blood Pressure UK. 

For more information and practical tools to understand and manage your drinking, visit our advice and support page.  

References 
 

[1][2][3] Bloodpressureuk.org. (2026). Blood Pressure UK. [online] Available at: https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/news/news/know-your-numbers-week-2026-7-13-september-date-for-the-diary.html [Accessed 2 Sept. 2026].