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Lloydspharmacy Reveals Five Star Holidaymakers Think They Are Too Posh To Die

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According to new research* by Lloydspharmacy’s Online Travel Clinic, five star holidaymakers are needlessly risking their lives when visiting malaria hotspots in Africa, Asia and South America.

It is estimated that over 13.5 million** British travellers have stayed in four and five star resorts in malarial countries with over a quarter not protecting themselves against local diseases. In fact over three million Brits did not bother to check to see if the country they were visiting had a malaria risk.

Worryingly 32% of all Brits believe they are less at risk of catching malaria if they stay at a luxury resort. The Lloydspharmacy research also found that only 30% of people who visit malarial countries take anti-malarial medication for the duration of their trip. A substantial proportion also discontinued anti-malarial medication prematurely when they returned home. Recently Cheryl Cole contracted malaria following a trip to Tanzania – although she was reported to have taken anti-malarials during her trip, it is not known whether she continued taking these upon her return.

According to the NHS website approximately 1,500 travellers return to the UK with malaria every year. In 2008, there were 1,370 cases of malaria reported and six deaths in the UK.

“Mosquitoes have no qualms about checking into luxury resorts”, said Clare Kerr, Lloydspharmacy’s Head of Travel Health. “The belief that staying in five star accommodation somehow provides immunity against diseases like malaria is very dangerous.

“Most UK travellers who catch malaria either do not take any anti-malarial treatments or do not get the right pills for the part of the world they’re visiting. It is important to get health advice before going to an area where there is a risk of malaria or other diseases such as diphtheria, typhoid and hepatitis.”

Lloydspharmacy’s Online Travel Clinic aims to make it as convenient as possible for travellers to obtain the malaria pills they need. After a consultation, Lloydspharmacy’s online doctors can provide a private prescription and arrange delivery of the medicines by post.

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Lloydspharmacy Unveil New Health Web Tool

Lloydspharmacy has launched a new web tool which allows people to work out how many of their work colleagues is carrying a sexually transmitted disease, drinks too much alcohol or is depressed.

The ‘Chances Are…’ Health Calculator, developed by community pharmacy chain Lloydspharmacy, is designed to stimulate debate and make health risks more relevant by applying nationally representative data to the workplace.

“People have become rather de-sensitised to national statistics,” said Andy Murdock, Governance and Pharmacy Relations Director of Lloydspharmacy. “When you hear that 15 per cent of the population is in danger of developing diabetes, it’s a bit meaningless, but when you discover, for example, in an office of 50 people, eight will be pre-diabetic and 10 of the men will experience some form of erectile dysfunction after turning 40, you’re more likely to sit up and take notice.

“That’s why we have launched this online tool. We hope it will be used in workplaces up and down the country, get people talking and encourage them to think about their own risk factors and what they can do to reduce their chances of developing lifestyle related diseases.”

The calculator asks visitors to provide information about the type of workplace they are employed in, along with the gender split and age profile of their workmates. It then raids its database to calculate how many colleagues have Chlamydia, how many men are likely to develop erectile dysfunction, how many are likely to suffer a stroke, how many have raised cholesterol, how many are hazardous drinkers and much more.

In many cases information is provided about the condition or the issue and guidance is provided about what can be done to reduce risk factors.

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Lloydspharmacy Wishes Customers A Flu-Less Christmas

Lloydspharmacy has announced that it has cut the price of its winter flu vaccinations by more than half price to encourage more people to protect themselves against the virus.

Recent research carried out by Lloydspharmacy found that take up for the vaccine has fallen this year. This could be due to a misguided belief that the swine flu jab will protect against winter flu**. However, price may also be a factor as people cut back during the recession. At £5, the Lloydspharmacy winter flu vaccine is now the cheapest on the high street compared to Asda and Tesco which are both priced at £8.00.

Chris Frost, pharmacist and director at Lloydspharmacy, said: “Winter flu can be debilitating and in some cases lead to very serious health issues. By making the vaccines available in our pharmacies across the country we’ve already improved access. Now they’re even more affordable we hope to have removed another barrier to people protecting themselves. The last thing anyone wants is to have flu over Christmas.”

Seasonal flu is responsible for the deaths of about 8,000 people in the UK a year and tends to affect the more vulnerable or elderly people. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control forecast that the swine flu and seasonal flu strains could each claim 40,000 lives across Europe this winter.

People over the age of 65 qualify for a free NHS seasonal flu vaccination as do people with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Others are able to get themselves protected on the high street. Lloydspharmacy offers a seasonal flu vaccination service in 260 of its pharmacies.

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Lloydspharmacy Warns Not To Rely On Swine Flu Jab To Protect Against Winter Flu

Lloydspharmacy has warned that the number of people protecting themselves against seasonal flu has fallen this year, possibly the result of a misguided belief that the swine flu jab will protect against winter flu.

As of 6th November there had only been a 54% uptake in people aged 65 and over, and only 27% uptake by people aged 55 – 65 to date, of the seasonal flu vaccine. Opinium Research conducted for Lloydspharmacy among 2007 UK adults 4 – 6th November 2009. This is a big reduction compared with the 73.5% uptake in 2008 by over the 65s and 73.9% in 2007 (The Fifty-sixth World Health Assembly).

According to research conducted by Lloydspharmacy almost 40% of people wrongly believe that the swine flu vaccine will also protect them against seasonal flu. Even more worryingly, more than half (52%) of the over 65s – one of the groups most vulnerable to winter flu – thought they would be protected against both strains if they had had the swine flu vaccination.

People over the age of 65 qualify for a free NHS seasonal flu vaccination as do people with conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, chronic liver disease, lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment) or removal of the spleen, or if they are a resident of a nursing or residential home. Anyone who is the main carer for an elderly or disabled person and whose wellbeing may be put at risk if the carer falls ill, is also eligible for a free vaccination from their GP.

Others who are not eligible for free NHS treatment can still have an online consultation with a doctor and be vaccinated at high street pharmacies for a fee of£5, with Lloydspharmacy offering a seasonal flu vaccination service in 260 of its pharmacies.

Seasonal flu is responsible for the deaths of about 8,000 people in the UK a year and tends to affect the more vulnerable or elderly people. Last week the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control forecast that the swine flu and seasonal flu strains could claim 40,000 lives each across Europe this winter.

The World Health Organisation has urged national governments to put in place plans to vaccinate at least 75 per cent of people most at risk of seasonal flu by 2010.

“Whilst there is still time for vulnerable people to get themselves protected before late November (when the Winter flu season reaches its peak) we would certainly expect to see a higher uptake by this time of year,” said Clare Kerr, head of clinical services at Lloydspharmacy.

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Online Sexual Partners Calculator

According to new research released by Lloydspharmacy, the typical British adult has slept indirectly with 2,811,024 people.

The leading community pharmacy chain has developed an online calculator which allows people to work out the number of indirect sexual partners they have had.

The sexual partners calculator has been developed to help people understand the risks of unprotected sex. According to the Health Protection Agency, cases of sexually transmitted infections rose last year by 0.5%, to 399,738 and cases of Chlamydia increased by eight per cent between 2006 and 2008.

The average British man claims to have had nine sexual partners while the average women claims 6.3 partners, giving an overall average of 7.65. However, as the new calculator demonstrates, they are potentially exposed to the sexually transmitted diseases of hundreds of thousands of others.

The calculator, which uses data collected from more than 6,000 UK adults, is called Sex Degrees of Separation, a reference to the famous theory first proposed by Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy which states that no one person is more than six steps removed from another.

When people enter the age range of each partner, the calculator raids its database to work out how many previous sexual partners people within that age range have had on average. It then repeats this process for five further ‘generations’ of partner. This is added together to give a Sex Degrees of Separation total.

The launch of the calculator coincides with the introduction of Lloydspharmacy’s Relationship Screen, an online postal service which allows people and their partners to have a Chlamydia test – the most common STI in the UK – Gonorrhoea test and HIV test before committing to full intimacy.

Clare Kerr, head of sexual health at Lloydspharmacy said: “When we sleep with someone, we are, in effect, not only sleeping with them, but also their previous partners and their partners’ previous partners, and so on. It’s important that people understand how exposed they are to STIs and take appropriate precautions including using condoms and getting themselves checked out where appropriate.

“A simple sexual health test will give both partners in a relationship peace of mind. The majority of STIs are easy to rectify, but if left untreated, the long term implications can be very serious.”

The Sex Degrees of Separation calculator, and more information about Lloydpharmacy’s sexual health services, can be found at online.

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Swine Flu Could Trigger Boom In Remote Diagnosis

Lloydspharmacy has revealed a new report that suggests the government’s use of the internet and call centres to deal with the swine flu pandemic could pave the way for a rapid growth in remote diagnosis and prescriptions. This was just one of the conclusions found in the report by the Future Foundation.

Judith Kleine Holthause, the report’s lead author, said:”Despite its clinical shortcomings, the use of the internet and call centres for diagnosing swine flu and distributing medication demonstrates that remote diagnosis can be an efficient way of dealing with certain conditions.”

The Future Foundation forecasts that 37% of people will be using the web for medical information by 2020 (up from 14% in 2009) and that a variety of social and economic factors will lead to a substantial market for online diagnosis and prescriptions in the future.

The report, commissioned by Lloydspharmacy, coincides with the roll-out of ‘virtual GPs’ into 300 of the chain’s pharmacies. Lloydspharmacy has pioneered online diagnosis and prescription.

Now the chain has innovated again by allowing customers to walk into a pharmacy, consult with a doctor from a computer terminal and walk out with their prescriptions a few minutes later.

Andy Murdock, pharmacy relations and governance director of Lloydspharmacy, said: “The face to face consultation will remain at the heart of primary care, but for an increasing array of conditions, remote services provide a viable alternative.

“Right now these include lifestyle conditions such as impotence and hair loss, embarrassing conditions such as STIs, contraception and certain minor ailments such as cystitis. But the list could expand considerably in the future.”

However the report’s authors warn that regulation will be critical if privately run diagnosis and prescription services are to grow. At present only one online doctor service is registered with the Care Quality Commission explicitly to manage patients remotely. That service, Dr Thom, also provides the GP component of the Lloydspharmacy service.

There is no question that consumers are receptive to the concept. Forty eight per cent of respondents to a poll conducted for the Future Foundation said they were interested in online diagnosis and 56% said they were interested in online prescriptions.

Holthaus added: “In certain areas consumers welcome regulation. Concerns about counterfeit medicines, bogus doctors and commercial motivations will inevitably act as a brake on consumer confidence in remote diagnosis services. We believe that more regulation, monitoring and control will be crucial to the further development of this market.

“There are strong arguments for why the NHS might embrace remote diagnosis as a complementary method to ensure sufficient delivery of satisfactory health care in the future. If regulated and monitored appropriately remote diagnoses and prescriptions could benefit the healthcare system in similar ways as remote services have helped the banking system.”

The Lloydspharmacy Online Doctor service is run in conjunction with online health experts Dr Thom, who adhere to the General Medical Council’s guidelines on remote prescribing. Patients log on for an online questionnaire-based consultation with a GP. If clinically appropriate the GP writes a prescription and the treatment is dispensed by post for next day delivery.

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Lloydspharmacy Is To Become The First Major Healthcare Brand To Supply Tamiflu Online

Customers can now buy Tamiflu via the Lloydspharmacy Online Doctor service. “We are playing as full a role as possible in the distribution of Tamiflu to NHS patients,” said Andy Murdock, Governance and Pharmacy Relations Director of Lloydspharmacy, “but it is clear that there is a significant demand for private prescriptions of the drug.

Supply Tamiflu Online

“We have decided to become the first recognised healthcare brand to sell Tamiflu online in advance of need so that people who want to buy the treatment can get it from a reputable online source which they can trust to dispense Tamiflu.”

Lloydspharmacy’s Online Doctor service is run in partnership with online health experts Dr Thom, the only online doctor to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission* specifically to prescribe medicines online.

Packs of 10 x 75mg Tamiflu will be available via the online pharmacy. All medicines will be dispatched using Royal Mail Special Delivery for delivery the next working day.

“Anyone displaying symptoms of swine flu, would be advised to call the NHS service appropriate to their area,” said Andy Murdock. “The Lloydspharmacy service is for people who want to ensure they have Tamiflu available if and when they need it and for people who will be travelling abroad at some point in the future.

“In the information sent out with every Tamiflu order Lloydspharmacy doctors will explain the symptoms people should look out for and the circumstances under which they should begin treatment.”

Lloydspharmacy has pioneered the development of online diagnosis and prescriptions. The Lloydspharmacy Online Doctor service is expanding and already offers treatments for impotence, hair loss and cystitis plus oral contraceptives, sexual health tests and travel medications.

About Lloydspharmacy
Lloydspharmacy has around 1700 pharmacies across the UK. These are based predominantly in community and health centre locations. The company employs over 16,000 staff and dispenses over 145 million prescription items annually. Lloydspharmacy is the trading name of Lloydspharmacy Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Celesio AG based in Stuttgart. Celesio is the leading pharmaceutical distribution company in Europe and is represented in 16 countries. With its three divisions, Patient and Consumer Solutions, Pharmacy Solutions and Manufacturer Solutions, the group covers the entire scope of pharmaceutical trade and pharmaceutical-related services.

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Hayfever Misery To Hit One In Two People By 2060 Says Lloydspharmacy

New images released by Lloydspharmacy show how the UK’s hayfever time bomb is set to explode within the coming years. Currently, the condition affects around a quarter of the UK population, one of the highest prevalence rates for hayfever in the world. By 2040, up to 28 million people will have hayfever due to severe pollen seasons caused by climate change.

City-dwellers will be worst affected by hayfever as warmer summers will intensify air pollution which affects the respiratory tract and allergenicity of pollens. In 50 years time, it is likely that almost three quarters of the population of London will be affected by hayfever whilst almost half of the population of East Anglia, including Cambridge and Norwich, will have hayfever by 2040. North Scotland has been deemed the best place to live for people who want to avoid hayfever with only a third of the population forecasted to be affected by 2060.

As hayfever is already one of the most common forms of allergy, with almost 12 million people in the UK affected, Lloydspharmacy has made its full report and hayfever maps of the UK available for sufferers to download through its website.

Chris Frost, head of medicines at Lloydspharmacy, said: “Increasingly we are going to need treatments which help people to reduce their susceptibility to hayfever in the first place rather than simply alleviate the symptoms.

“A study conducted by the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, and published online by the Current Medical and Research Opinion concluded that the Lloydspharmacy Hayfever Reliever significantly reduced the main symptoms of hayfever – sneezing, runny nose, watering eyes and an itchy palate. In fact it’s so effective some people may feel a reduction in hayfever symptoms after using it just a few times. This device has been clinically proven to help to reduce susceptibility to some types of pollens, making it very useful for the severe pollen seasons forecast over the next ten to fifty years.”

UK areas least susceptible to increases in allergenic pollen loads include coastal areas, especially in the west. The further north one goes, the shorter the growing season and the shorter the pollen seasons, causing less misery for hayfever sufferers. Highland and moor land areas are good places for hayfever sufferers as the type of vegetation there produces less pollen.

About Lloydspharmacy
Lloydspharmacy has around 1700 pharmacies across the UK. These are based predominantly in community and health centre locations. The company employs over 16,000 staff and dispenses over 145 million prescription items annually. Lloydspharmacy which is a community pharmacy has primary care at the heart of its business. This is why it has launched a range of products aimed at improving community health such as affordable blood pressure monitors and allergy relievers, as well as a suite of convenient professional health check services including free blood pressure and diabetes testing, and cholesterol and heart checks in the comfort of a private consultation room. Lloydspharmacy is the trading name of Lloydspharmacy Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Celesio AG based in Stuttgart. Celesio is the leading pharmaceutical distribution company in Europe and is represented in 16 countries. With its three divisions, Celesio Wholesale, Celesio Pharmacies and Celesio Solutions, the group covers the entire scope of pharmaceutical trade and pharmaceutical-related services.

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Lloydspharmacy Chief Urges Weight Loss Pills Must Be Sold With Care

Lloydspharmacy has warned customers that the weight loss treatment alli, which can now be sold in pharmacies without a prescription must be supplied only after a proper consultation, fearing that people may take it even though it’s not clinically appropriate for them to do so.

Andy Murdock, Pharmacy Relations and Governance Director of Lloydspharmacy, said: “It’s important that all sectors of the pharmacy profession uphold the very highest clinical standards when providing this treatment,” he said. “A number of GPs have said they are worried that alli weight loss treatment may be sold to people for whom it is clinically inappropriate.

“I am calling on all colleagues to maintain the very highest standards when the service begins tomorrow and not to let the desire to please the customer override clinical considerations.”

Lloydspharmacy has trained more than 3,000 pharmacists and healthcare assistants to sell the treatment.

alli can help people who are overweight to boost their weight loss by up to 50 per cent. So, for every 2lbs of weight lost through their own efforts, alli can help shed a further 1lb.

However, it is only appropriate for people who have a BMI of 28 or over and should only be sold to people who are happy to lose weight gradually, are ready to adopt a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet and eat smaller portions.

People who are on certain medications* should be referred to their GP and there are some important contra-indications**.

Dr Chris Steele, who is famous for helping a ‘This Morning’ viewer lose 30 stones, said: “alli is a proven weight loss treatment and I am pleased that it’s now available over the counter in pharmacies. It’s good to see that responsible pharmacy groups like Lloydspharmacy have trained their staff thoroughly so that the treatment is only sold to people for whom it’s appropriate.”

alli contains Orlistat, which has been available on prescription marketed as Xenical at 120mg for over 10 years. It helps to prevent the absorption of fat and allows excess fat from food consumed to pass naturally through the body.

“All customers who want to buy alli should have a proper private consultation with a pharmacy professional who has been trained to advise customers about the treatment,” added Murdock. “They should be given a record card with the first
purchase and present this each time they buy further courses.”

“It is not a miracle cure for obesity,” said Andy Murdock. “For people who are committed to losing weight and who are prepared to make the appropriate lifestyle changes, alli can provide a very significant additional benefit, but it’s not a magic bullet.”

* Amidorane, Acarbose, Fat soluble vitamins
** anti-coagulants, ciclosporin. Also, alli should not be sold to anyone under 18 or to pregnant or breast feeding women

About Lloydspharmacy
Lloydspharmacy has around 1700 pharmacies across the UK. These are based predominantly in community and health centre locations. The company employs over 16,000 staff and dispenses over 145 million prescription items annually.

Lloydspharmacy which is a community pharmacy has primary care at the heart of its business. This is why it has launched a range of products aimed at improving community health such as affordable blood pressure monitors and allergy relievers, as well as a suite of convenient professional health check services including free blood pressure and diabetes testing, and cholesterol and heart checks in the comfort of a private consultation room.

Lloydspharmacy is the trading name of Lloydspharmacy Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Celesio AG based in Stuttgart. Celesio is the leading pharmaceutical distribution company in Europe and is represented in 16 countries. With its three divisions, Celesio Wholesale, Celesio Pharmacies and Celesio Solutions, the group covers the entire scope of pharmaceutical trade and pharmaceutical-related services.

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Lloydspharmacy Has Become The First Major Healthcare Brand To Offer Women The ‘Morning After Pill’ In Advance Of Need

The online service is aimed at women who are concerned that they may not be able to access the treatment, also known as Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC), when they need it, such as whilst travelling or during weekends and bank holidays. The new service is also ideal for women who may be anxious about visiting a pharmacy or their local GP for this type of medication.

The service is available through Lloydspharmacy as part of an online partnership between the pharmacy and the Healthcare Commission regulated online health expert DrThom.

“With the emergency pill, time is of the essence,” said Clare Kerr, Head of Clinical Services at Lloydspharmacy, “The treatment is up to 95 per cent effective when taken 24 hours after sex but that reduces to 85 per cent in the following 24 hours and dips to 58 per cent in the next 24 hours.”

“Most women know that the morning after pill can be taken up to three days after sex,” she said, “but our pharmacists tell us that many women are unaware of the fact that effectiveness reduces during that period.”

The Lloydspharmacy online service is explicitly not aimed at women who have just had unprotected sex. They are advised to visit their pharmacist or GP straight away. There is a 72 hour delay in despatching treatments to discourage women from using the service in this way.

The online pharmacy service will not knowingly be made available to patients under the age of 18 and treatments will only be despatched to the person whose name is on the credit or debit card used to make the payment online.

Women must fill in a comprehensive online medical questionnaire which is reviewed by DrThom before treatment can be prescribed and dispensed by post. Women are able to access advice from a DrThom GP using their confidential online patient record.

“Unplanned pregnancy is an issue that can affect all sexually active women, including those in long term relationships,” said Clare Kerr. According to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, one in three women in the UK will have an abortion by the time they are 45 and about 30 per cent of all pregnancies are unplanned.

“We hope that our new service will go some way to reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies and will help alleviate some of the anxiety women feel after they’ve had unprotected sex or a condom has split,” Claire concluded.

 

About Lloydspharmacy
Lloydspharmacy has around 1700 pharmacies across the UK. These are based predominantly in community and health centre locations. The company employs over 16,000 staff and dispenses over 145 million prescription items annually.

Lloydspharmacy is the trading name of Lloydspharmacy Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Celesio AG based in Stuttgart. Celesio is the leading pharmaceutical distribution company in Europe and is represented in 16 countries. With its three divisions, Celesio Wholesale, Celesio Pharmacies and Celesio Solutions, the group covers the entire scope of pharmaceutical trade and pharmaceutical-related services.

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Lloydspharmacy Campaign Against The Threat Of Coronary Heart Disease Joined By Royle Family Star Ricky Tomlinson

Actor Ricky Tomlinson has warned British men against the threat of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) as part of a new campaign for Lloydspharmacy. Ricky freely admits that he did not take his heart health seriously in the past and paid the price in 2007 when he was diagnosed with heart disease after his wife insisted that he went to the doctor for a check-up.

A quadruple bypass and a significant amount of weight loss later, Ricky says he is a new man. He admits that if his wife hadn’t mentioned to his doctor that he had been a little breathless, he would probably be either very ill now, or worse.

Tomlinson’s campaign, ‘Ten Years Longer’, is designed to encourage men who are at risk of CHD to get their hearts checked out. “Men think illness is the same as weakness and it’s not very manly to be ill,” said Ricky. “The trouble with that is that if you ignore your health then you are more likely to get very ill indeed.”

He continued, “If women will go on a TV show to look ten years younger, then men can go to a pharmacy to live ten years longer.”

According to a new study by Lloydspharmacy, CHD will rob British men of more than 16.5 million years of life, although early detection of cardiovascular problems could lead to 4.3 million of those years being saved. That’s an average of 4 years per at-risk individual, but for some the number of additional years could be much greater.

Andy Murdock, Pharmacy Director for Lloydspharmacy said: “Most men can manage to keep the appointments that they think are important. They get their cars serviced, get to meetings on time and remember to file their tax returns. The one appointment they can’t seem to make is for a health check up.”

Lloydspharmacy offers cholesterol and heart checks at 625 of its pharmacies across the UK. The Lloydspharmacy cholesterol and heart check removes many of the excuses men typically give for not getting themselves checked out. No appointment is necessary so they can just walk into the chemist off the street at a time which is convenient.

Dr David Grainger, a heart disease researcher at Cambridge University and British Heart Foundation Senior Fellow, who compiled the Lloydspharmacy study, said, “When my father died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 55, he had no idea there was any problem with his heart. But this study emphasises that despite improvements over the last decade, heart disease still has a huge impact on the health of the UK population, and men in particular. The first step to avoiding a heart attack is being aware of the risks.”

About The Lloydspharmacy Heart Healthcheck
The 15 minute Lloydspharmacy Heart Healthcheck checks cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and body mass index as well as giving a full lifestyle assessment. Based on these results a percentage risk score of developing heart disease over the next ten years is estimated. Everyone who uses the free service will receive a personal action plan and summary of the test results. For high-risk customers a support pack is supplied and referral to the GP is recommended.

The Heart Healthcheck was trialled in 122 Lloydspharmacy outlets across the country last year and results show approximately 40% of those who had a check were referred to their GP.

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