Tesco has today said it will offer half a million free blood pressure checks in its in-store pharmacies across the UK.

The chain said it was rolling out the service as part of a campaign to raise public awareness of undiagnosed high blood pressure alongside the British Heart Foundation. 

The blood pressure service comes as Tesco releases the results of a survey it commissioned YouGov to carry out which revealed young people are less likely to regularly check their blood pressure.

According to the study of 2,018 adults conducted last month, 70 per cent of men and 67 per cent of women said they don’t have a routine health check at least once a year and 48 per cent of under-35s haven’t had their blood pressure checked in the last 12 months compared to 37 per cent across all age groups.

Of adults aged 18 to 24 who have never had a blood pressure check, nearly one in four think they are too young to need one, one in five think they are in good health and one in six don’t know how to get their blood pressure checked.

One in 10 men have never had their blood pressure taken and nearly a third think they only need to measure it if they have a medical condition or are taking medication.

The research also revealed that Brits are more likely to service their cars and household boilers each year rather than undergo a routine medical examination while one in two said they are more likely to put the health of a loved one before their health.

The BHF’s chief executive Charmaine Griffiths said the 4,000 people admitted to hospital for a heart attack or stroke each week in the UK have “treatable high blood pressure” which contributes “to many of these life-threatening events.”

“This means the opportunity for a free blood pressure check could be one of the most valuable deals on offer when doing your weekly shop. It’s quick, easy and could even save your life,” she said.

Jason Tarry, CEO, UK & ROI at Tesco, said: “Reducing high blood pressure is one of the biggest changes people can make to reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes, but most people don’t realise that they can get their blood pressure checked for free, without an appointment, at an in-store Tesco pharmacy.

“With Valentine’s Day around the corner, there’s no better way to show your loved ones that you care than by encouraging them to take easy measures to look after themselves.”