Know your Numbers! Week is a campaign that occurs annually during the second week in September. This year, the day is being celebrated from September 8 to 14. All over the world, there are millions of people who have high blood pressure and are unaware. In the U.K., this campaign was created to raise awareness about high blood pressure and is now the U.K.’s biggest blood pressure testing and awareness event. Every year volunteers set up ‘Pressure Stations’ in public places across the U.K. to test passers-by measuring their blood pressure and giving them their numbers to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
History of Know Your Numbers Week
The first Know Your Numbers Week! took place in 2007 and had the theme ‘Finding The Missing Millions.’ It’s estimated that 16 million people in the U.K. have high blood pressure, but 5.3 million of them don’t know it. To address this, 2,700 ‘Pressure Stations’ were set up across the country to take pressure readings resulting in a quarter-million people being tested.
The momentum of the campaign began to grow, and 2009 saw a rise in media coverage for Know Your Numbers! Week It featured on GMTV, radio shows including BBC Radio 2 Drivetime, and national newspapers the ‘Daily Express’ and the ‘Daily Star.’ The campaign focused on the busiest areas in the U.K. which included train stations, shopping centers, and workplaces. The mission for 2012 was to know your numbers and the numbers of your partner. The campaign encouraged couples to get tested and know each other’s numbers.
With the rise of social media in 2017, the Know Your Numbers! campaign began trending online and continued to do so yearly with the hashtag #KnowYourNumbers. The posters reached over 21,000 people on Twitter and were among the most successful campaigns on the social media site. In 2019 the Know Your Numbers! campaign ‘Live Well For Longer’ reached 52,8000 people online and was featured on Arsenal football club’s website. In 2020 the campaign went virtual and encouraged people to buy or borrow a home blood pressure monitor. Additionally, the campaign created and distributed a collection of home monitoring resources. These included a guide to checking your blood pressure at home, a home-monitoring record card to track blood pressure numbers, and a video explaining how to measure blood pressure and what the numbers mean.
Know Your Numbers Week timeline
The Know Your Numbers! campaign receives the Healthcare and Medical Research Award at The Charity Awards event.
The Know Your Numbers! Week breaks the world record for the most B.P. tests in eight hours.
Public Health England comes onboard and creates ‘I Know My Numbers Boards.’
Know Your Numbers! Week trends on Twitter three years in a row with 500,000 website views.
Know your Numbers! Week has been around for 21 years.
Know Your Numbers Week FAQs
What Does Know Your Numbers! mean?
Know Your Numbers! is a campaign that encourages people to learn their numbers related to cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, and body mass index (BMI).
Why do you need to know your numbers?
Your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, your blood pressure, and other numbers are key markers of your health. Keep these numbers at their normal levels to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
does coffee raise blood pressure?
The caffeine in coffee may cause an increase in your blood pressure, even if you don’t have high blood pressure.
How to Observe Know Your Numbers Week
Get to know your numbers
There is no other way to do this other than to get tested. So go on, find your local Pressure Station, and Know Your Numbers!
Join the charity organization Blood Pressure the U.K.
Membership fees go towards the campaign and support of their work. What better way to contribute to this worthwhile cause?
Run a Pressure Station
Register online to run a Pressure Station in your local community. You can get support from your local medics.
5 Facts About High Blood Pressure
It often has zero symptoms
When high blood pressure goes untreated, it can cause a heart attack or a stroke.
It is easily treatable and managed
High blood pressure and diseases it causes are manageable by medicine and lifestyle changes.
It is the third health-risk factor
After smoking and poor diet, high blood pressure is the third high-risk factor for all diseases.
More men have this disease
In an England study, 31% of men were found to have high blood pressure as compared to just 26% of women.
Many people remain undiagnosedt
In England, there are more than five million people who are unaware of their blood pressure status.
Why Know Your Numbers Week is Important
It is an easy process that has big rewards.
Know Your Numbers! Week makes getting your blood pressure checked an easy task. Let us not ignore the life-changing rewards.
The organization makes it simple to do your part and get involved
From advertising and resources to coverage, the organization provides you with the tools you will need to run your Pressure Station. It is a great way to give back to your community.
There are many ways to contribute
You have many avenues to take and be part of the change. You could share a Tweet, host a Pressure Station, fundraise, put up posters, make a donation, or become a member of Blood Pressure the U.K.
Know Your Numbers Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | September 5 | Monday |
| 2023 | September 4 | Monday |
| 2024 | September 2 | Monday |
| 2025 | September 8 | Monday |
| 2026 | September 7 | Monday |
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