Nearly half the people screened for diabetes in a recent awareness campaign discovered they were hypertensive.November was Diabetes Awareness Month and as part of the campaign The Diabetes Education Centre held free screenings on November 25. Blood pressure was one of the measurements taken and King Edward Memorial VII Hospital reports that out of the 185 people screened, 90 had higher than healthy readings.“Ninety had blood pressure levels of 140/90 or above. Of those, 20 people had blood pressure levels of 160/100 or higher.”A healthy blood pressure reading is 120/80. According to the Hypertension Guidelines for Bermuda 2011, the 20 people screened with pressures over 160/100 are stage two hypertensive. The 70 that were above 140/90 but less than 160/100, are stage one hypertensive.Hypertension is a serious health problem in Bermuda. It’s reported to affect a quarter of the adult population. Those in healthcare believe preventing it and properly managing the condition can significantly cut Bermuda’s high healthcare costs.Body & Soul in support of the Department of Health’s awareness campaign, regularly features articles on hypertension.The Diabetes Education Centre’s screening on November 25, also confirmed ten new cases of diabetes.