SCORES of workers have had their blood pressure checked around the region as a reminder to look after their health.

This is National Blood Pressure Awareness Week and teams of health professionals are checking blood pressure around the North-East.

In Darlington specialist heart nurses, health visitors and occupational health nurses visited workplaces in the town, including the fire station, Town Hall, Jobcentre and The Northern Echo.

High blood pressure can indicate the possibility of heart disease or a stroke.

The Government has set the NHS a target to get the population's blood pressure under 140/85 millimetres of mercury (the top figure is the pressure in your arteries when the heart is beating and the bottom figure is the pressure when the heart is at rest).

To achieve this people need to eat a healthy diet, give up smoking, exercise, manage stress levels and learn to relax.

Darlington Primary Care Trust heart nurse Barbara Conway said: "High blood pressure can affect people of all ages. We found someone this week who was just 21 and his blood pressure was sky high.

Everyone who had their blood pressure checked was also given health advice. People with high readings were referred to their doctors or practice nurses.

"I have been surprised at how many people have had high blood pressure and a lot of them have been young," said Barbara. "It can mean they are heading for trouble.

Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo, who also had his blood pressure checked, said: "We have campaigned to try to improve services for heart patients and detecting problems before they develop is just as important as improving treatment."

Blood pressure is such a vital indicator of health that Darlington PCT provided each of the town's 11 doctors' practices with electronic BP measuring equipment and 24 hour monitors.