PEOPLE were given a simple health check that could save their lives in Ludlow.

Ludlow Rotary Club held its annual Stroke Awareness Day at the Rockspring Centre.

It was a new venue for the annual health check event that has in the past been held at the Ludlow Methodist Church.

Residents in the town had the chance to drop in and have their blood pressure taken.

Health experts were on hand to provide advice on diet and lifestyle as well as suggest that some people make an appointment to see their GP.

Strokes are one of the biggest killers in this country but can often be avoided by cheap medication or even a change in lifestyle.

One of the biggest indicators of a higher risk of having a stroke is high blood pressure which can be indicated by a simple and painless test that takes a few seconds.

High blood pressure is also linked to other conditions such as heart attacks and kidney disease.

One of the problems is that it can be a silent killer exhibiting no symptoms.

If detected, high blood pressure can often be controlled by simple measures such as exercising or modifying diet.

In some cases medication is required.

A single high reading does not always indicate a problem as it does change during the day and can be affected by factors such as exercise or stress.

But the idea of the stroke awareness day was to provide an early warning to alert people if further monitoring is needed.