High blood pressure is picked up less often in people who smoke, despite them being at higher risk of heart disease, research suggests.
A study of more than 20,000 men and women in England found smokers were less likely to be aware that they had high blood pressure than non-smokers.
The University College London team said spotting the condition was particularly important in those who smoke.
Being diagnosed can also prompt people to quit, heart experts said.
Smoking and high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, are both key causes of early death, the researchers wrote in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation.
National guidelines advocate that doctors encourage those with high blood pressure to stop smoking and that greater effort should be made to look for signs of the condition in those who smoke.
The study, which took data from the Health Survey for England in 2003 and 2006, found improvements over time in the proportion of people who knew they had high blood pressure.
But it was being detected less frequently in people who smoked compared with those who did not, or those who used to smoke but had quit.
Among those smokers who had been diagnosed with the condition, they were more likely to have been told by a health professional to stop smoking than those who did not know they had hypertension, and were more likely to have quit.
Weight
One reason for the lack of diagnosis could be that smokers in the study tended to be thinner than those who did not smoke.
The researchers, who were funded by Cancer Research UK, said that GPs may be more likely to test blood pressure in people who were overweight.
Since 2004, GPs have been paid an incentive to test blood pressure and to record whether someone is a smoker.
Study author Dr Jennifer Mindell said it was disappointing to find smokers with high blood pressure were not being diagnosed.
"It's important to pick up high blood pressure in everybody but it's particularly important in somebody who already has a higher than average risk of heart disease or stroke, including those who smoke.
"And anything that gives people additional motivation to quit must be a good thing.
"It is a reminder for GPs that measuring blood pressure in smokers, even if they are thin, is important."
June Davison, a cardiac nurse from the British Heart Foundation, said: "It is crucial that smokers are aware of their blood pressure as smoking and high blood pressure are among the most common risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
"This study also highlights that if smokers are made aware of their high blood pressure, it can increase their motivation to stop smoking.
She added that smokers over the age of 40 should go for a health check where their blood pressure will be measured and advice on quitting smoking can be given.
Original Post: bcc.co.uk
Tonight's Saturday Halloween Countdown special is one of the last of the real 50's classics we haven't covered yet! It's called "CURUCU, Beast Of The Amazon," and it was written and directed by Curt Siodmak! When you consider some of Curt's other work like "Donovan's Brain," "I Walked With A Zombie," or "The Wolfman," it's pretty weak by comparison, but still a classic nonetheless!
No secrets here, the monster ain't that great so they show it to you right out of the box!! It looks kinda like a cross between a platypus, and a giant magpie on steroids!
AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!
Those giant claws are lethal, and John (REVENGE OF THE CREATURE) Bromfield as Rock Dean and Tom (LOVE SLAVES OF THE AMAZONS) Payne as Tupanico are just as confused by all the deaths as the police are! What John really has on his mind is he wants to have a cigarette, and Tupanico has got a bit of a chip on his shoulder because he doesn't like being played by a white guy!
Ah, the good olde days when you could still smoke in the Doctor's office while getting a shot!
Rock Dean asks The Doctor played by the wonderful Beverly Garland out for dinner, and smokes a couple more cigarettes while he's at it!
Hubba, hubba!! Vivian, the dancer in the club, and one of Rock's old flames of course, is played by Larri Thomas! Larri has been a dancer of some sort in at least 13 of her 37 roles! The music you'll hear from the club scene was written by Raoul Kraushaar, a man you've read about here many times before for his work on films like "Invaders from Mars," "Billy The Kid vs. Dracula," and "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter!" Raoul had many non-horror credits too, like "Highway 13," and sometimes worked as Ralph Kraushaar or Ralph Stanley!
Not to be outdone, Larri has a smoke on her break while she explains to Bev that after smoking cigarettes, Rock's favourite pastime is sex!!
Tupanico is Rock's trustworthy guide who is going to lead him out into the jungle where he can smoke to his heart's content! He even helps Rock out by giving him a light!
The Doctor wants to go too, but Rock says no!! Of course she ends up going along anyway, otherwise there wouldn't be much of a story at all!
Curucu strikes again!!
Rock thinks you shoot a rifle the same way you smoke a cigarette, but Tupanico straightens him out!
There's lots more scary things out in the jungle too!
Not green screen, "CURUCU, The Beast Of The Amazon" was actually shot on location in Argentina and Brazil!
Well, as fate would have it, the monster is fake, and Tupanico is behind the whole thing, committing the murders to prevent further colonization of the native lands!
Rock and the Doctor manage to escape, and when she wakes up, she is safe and sound again!
Rock puts the make on the Doctor, and this time she goes along with his advances, having lived through a series of harrowing adventures! A native whose life the Doctor saved brings them a token of his appreciation!
And just what was in the basket? That lousy rotten bastard Tupanico's stinkin' shrunken head! What a happy ending!
It's Friday JD Day with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. Timothy Farrell plays drug dealer Umberto Scalli, he would go on to play the character two more times in RACKET GIRLS (1951) and DANCE HALL RACKET (1953), all produced by George Weiss, who also produced GLEN OR GLENDA. 
George Eiferman is brought in after his Mr. America title win in '48 to give some real class to the production. Eegah!! sent over a soundclip from the pool party with it's swinging music in the background, sooooo, push the big red 'GO' button located directly behind the tiki god, NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's our audio offering from... THE DEVIL'S SLEEP! 
It's a simple story - The head of an illegal drug ring uses a women's health spa as a front for his sleeping pill racket. Lita Grey plays Judge Rosalind Ballantine, she's starting a campaign against 'Goofies!' 
Scalli and his pal eyeball the hot babes exercising at his health club. Dudes, the one looks like an old fat guy! 
The pool party is totally keen, listen for it in the soundclip! Bob spills the beans to Scalli's pusher pal at poolside. 
We get to hang around in the girls locker room quite a bit... 
George Eiferman shows up to help out at the club, he puts this wise guy in his place with a simple handshake! 
George lets wise ass get the 'lighter' suitcase of weights to carry! 
Actually, there is one hot chick in this flick, the one getting into the see-thru sauna! 
At the evening pool party, the girls are getting hopped up on some Goofies and are acting all goofy! 
Scalli has his stooge take pictures of stoned nekkid women during the party, to use for blackmail purposes! 
Hey, not too bad for a hack! 
George finds evidence that Scalli's dealing drugs on the side, using the health club as a front... 
It's touch and go before the cops arrive and break up all the fun. Scalli goes to jail! 
It's another Monster Monkey Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. This well done 58 minute film stars two horror masters, J. Carrol (THE MONSTER MAKER) Naish and George (THE FLYING SERPENT) Zucco. The storyline is about a young doctor who pays a visit to his fiancée in a remote French villa owned by her scientist uncle. He's met by Noel, Dr. Renault's mysterious assistant, who seems like an odd character indeed. He eventually learns Noel's true identity.. He's actually an ape turned into a man by Renault's bizarre experiments!
Eegah!! sent over this musical soundclip for our listening pleasure, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there opposite the purple launch pad exhaust valve, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula!.. Here's our audio offering for... DR. RENAULT'S SECRET! 
Noel, on the left, don't take kindly to being made fun of when he comes to town... 
Especially by a drunk Walt Disney! Later, Walt pays for his rude comments! 
Also in the mix are big Mike Mazurki as grounds keeper/suspect, Rogell, and Arthur (DAUGHTER OF DR. JEKYLL) Shields as Inspector Duval. 
Shepperd Strudwick, as John Shepperd, plays the visiting Dr. Larry Forbes. Noel drives him to Dr. Renault's villa, where there's a secret! 
These are always fun! 
Noel has to stay in his cell when he misbehaves, and, has a lot of pent up anger against Dr. Renault for some reason! 
At the carnival, Noel shows his strength and gongs the bell using just one hand, setting off some fireworks?!.. 
You can hear obnoxious asses Mike 'n' Ike in the soundclip as they clip on Noel, sooo... 
Ike gets thrown out his second story window and Mike gets pummeled from barber chair to mirrored post in his own shop! 
Larry goes exploring in the cellar and discovers some interesting clues to the mystery. 
He finds photos of Noel as he was being changed into a man! Ray (IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE) Corrigan plays the Ape. 
Noel gets his hands around Dr. Renault's neck for screwing up his life, and so, he ends his! 
It turns out that Rogell kidnaps lovely Madelon and takes her into the woods to his hideout. 
Noel follows and is shot by Rogell. Noel shakes it off and finally tosses Rogell into the mill's paddle, breaking his spine! As Noel makes his way back down to help Madelon, he succumbs to the gunshot wounds...