Almost 50 percent of residents may be at risk of heart disease - Bermuda's number one killer - based on the findings from a series of free health checks conducted at a local pharmacy this fall.

Seven percent of those screened had to be immediately referred to doctors based on their blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

The numbers have raised the alarm among health professionals who conducted the free health checks between August and November.

"Basically, Bermudians and residents are not looking after their health," said Val Cheape of the Department of Health's Community Nursing programme.

Forty-seven percent of those screened had high blood pressure and 40 percent had levels consistent with mild hypertension.

Seven percent had blood pressure levels high enough to be considered severe hypertension.

They were immediately referred to a physician or the Health Department, Ms Cheape said.

Blood cholesterol testing revealed that 43 percent had borderline to high cholesterol levels.

Blood pressure and cholesterol levels are key health indicators because high levels place individuals at risk of developing heart disease - the number one cause of death in Bermuda.

Both indicators are controllable however, and educating the public about the making healthier lifestyle choices was one of the key objectives for running the free checks.

Ms Cheape pointed to poor diet and lack of exercise as major contributing factors to dangerous levels of the health indicators which were found.

"At least one in three people in Bermuda are overweight," she said. "Add a lack of exercise, poor diet, over-consumption of fast food, fat and cholesterol and high stress levels" and you can begin to explain the numbers.

Nearly 400 people between the ages of 29 and 88 were screened over the course of the clinics which were run by the Phoenix Stores and rotated to the different branches of the pharmacy around the Island.

The Phoenix stores have conducted the complementary health checks before, said marketing manager Pauline Girling, but this is the first time the statistics from the checks have been tracked in this manner.

Ms Girling said the company was very pleased with the amount of people who turned out to take advantage of the clinics which were conducted by three community nurses and a nutritionist.

Many people were shocked to learn that they tested high for these key indicators, Ms Cheape said, and some people even followed the clinics from store to store in order to be re-tested.

The company plans to run the clinics again in the coming year and the results from the next session will provide and important baseline comparison on whether the public takes action to lessen the risk of heart disease.

"We have this free check initiative to emphasise the importance of having regular cholesterol and blood pressure checks," said Chief Nursing Officer Gaylia Landry.

"Regular checks are essential to keep an eye on your health. High blood pressure is what we call a `silent killer' meaning at first, high blood pressure has virtually no symptoms but the first sign that something is wrong can be deadly."