Men in England to be offered blood pressure checks in barbershops

Research finds relative risk of heart attacks for men is twice as high as it is for women. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

Men are to be offered blood pressure checks in barbershops as part of an NHS drive to prevent heart attacks, as research reveals they face double the risk of women.

Having high blood pressure raises the risk of a heart attack, but many men and women remain unaware they may be affected because typically there are no symptoms.