A significant number of people are likely to tell you that financial worries such as trying to find or pay back a loan or the rising cost of basic needs such as fuel and food gives them a headache.

On the other hand, it could even be worse than that. According to new research from financial service provider Friends Provident along with UK charity the Blood Pressure Association, Britons' health is genuinely suffering as the credit crunch bites.

Nearly 29 million people, just short of 66 per cent, are suffering from more stress, less healthy and less fit than they did three years ago, according to the findings. The Britain Under Pressure report found that the economic downturn means more than 1 in 3 people are feeling more stressed, 19 per cent are losing sleep and 15 per cent are working longer hours.

In addition, seven per cent are drinking more and six per cent are smoking more as they try to cope with the added finance related pressures facing them. In addition, nine per cent state they will start drinking more in the before the end of the year. And a majority of 1 in 4 do not think they are doing enough to care for their health.

to top that. More than half of people (56 per cent) are spending less on food to tryto minimise expense and 15 per cent have sacrificed spending on fresh products (fruit and veg) in an effort to cope financially. Almost a quarter (21 per cent) are using the gym less, with a great many specifically citing money as the reason.

Quite a few are also becoming more reliant on less healthy ready-meals and takeaways, with 77 per cent regularly cooking them.

All in all, lifestyle changes and worry could cause a blood pressure "ticking time bomb", according to the Blood Pressure Association. Chairman Professor Graham MacGregor who warned that uncontrolled and undetected high blood pressure could lead to strokes, heart failure and heart attacks. which make a large contribution to Britain's deaths.

He stated that people should have a free blood pressure test.

According to Mark Jones, head of protection at Friends Provident, the credit crunch is having "serious ramifications". He noted that lifestyle changes for the worse, such as a poorer quality diet and lack of exercise could affect blood pressure and health in the long term.

Even apart from problems linked directly to financial worries, 42 per cent of people do not monitor their salt intake while a third never or rarely eat the recommended five fruit and vegetable portions a day.

For this reason, people are being encouraged to take better care of their health. And one pursuit with a reputation for being relaxing is gardening. Which is just as well, as gardening expert Joe Swift, presenter of BBC's Gardening World, says that maintaining a garden can add value to your property.

His comments may well be of interest to people looking for ways to finance a