Next month will see millions of people have their blood pressure measured in one of the world’s largest public screening exercises, according to the organisers of May Measurement Month. The project – a clinical study led by the International Society of Hypertension and the World Hypertension League – aims to measure the blood pressure of several millions of adults at screening centres in up to 100 countries.

The timing of the project links with World Hypertension Day, which takes place on 17 May.

International Society of Hypertension president Neil Poulter said: “Raised blood pressure is the biggest single contributing factor for global death and the worldwide burden of disease, and we want May Measurement Month to lay strong foundations for significantly increasing public understanding. The goal for May Measurement Month is therefore to screen as many people as possible worldwide who have not had their blood pressure measured in the previous year.”

More than one in four adults in the UK suffer from hypertension, and each year, 10 million people around the world die as a result of stroke, heart attack or another cardiovascular complication linked to hypertension.

The results of the study are planned to be published in The Lancet.