High Blood Pressure

Headhuunter

I bought a blood pressure monitor last week and have been measuring my pressure since then. I am horrified to find that, despite extreme healthy living, I am "mildly hypertensive"... My BP is around 142-146 over 72-77 during the day (however goes down to 122-130 over 65ish in the early morns and evenings). So my systolic pressure is high-ish but the diastolic is low, which also means that I have "high pulse pressure"...

I have booked to see the GP to see what he thinks, but in the meantime have been doing research on the net. I have found that isolated high systolic pressure is usually something found in old people (I'm 38). Also that high pulse pressure combined with bradycardia (heart rate of less than 60bpm) can cause "intercranial pressure", ie pressure in the brain. My heart rate ranges from about 44bpm (in the early mornings) to about 65 (at work when I'm moving around etc) but is usualy around 55 ish in the daytime

High pulse pressure can be caused by stiffness of the major arteries or aortic regurgitation when valves in the left ventricle are faulty causing blood to push back into the heart against the valve.

However I have also read that In younger people, particularly those younger than 45 years of age, diastolic pressure is a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than is systolic or pulse pressure. If that's true then I'm fine. But other articles say that you are hypertensive if 1 or the other reading is high, doesn't have to be both...

I have read thyat hawthorn extract, garlic, calcium & magnesium and co enzyme Q10 supplementation can help. Also daily low dose aspirin (75mg or less).

Another thing I notice sometimes is that when I am sat still at my desk, I can feel my heart beating. It's not fluttering, no palpatations, just a steady, boom, boom, boom... I don't think I should be able to feel it at rest, should I?

I eat an exceedingly healthy diet, I am almost OCD about eating veg, nuts, seeds, fruit etc everyday. I guess it could be down to genetics, my dad has HBP and so did his dad...

Anyway, I'm seeing the GP... Just wondered if anyone had any experience of HBP?

davis

I'm not going to comment on the blood pressure; I don't know enough.

Are you using the monitor correctly? If it's one of those wrist-strap monitors they can be very... sensitive to how they're used. I can make one go into panic mode depending on where/how I hold my arm.
I do know a few doctors that don't trust any of those auto-inflating cuff things though, even the large "professional" machines that are sometimes in GPs' offices.

rick_chasey

Why did you buy a pressure monitor to begin with, out of interest?

Headhuunter

davis wrote:

I'm not going to comment on the blood pressure; I don't know enough.

Are you using the monitor correctly? If it's one of those wrist-strap monitors they can be very... sensitive to how they're used. I can make one go into panic mode depending on where/how I hold my arm.
I do know a few doctors that don't trust any of those auto-inflating cuff things though, even the large "professional" machines that are sometimes in GPs' offices.

Well I have followed the guidelines in the instructions. I sit quietly for a few moments before taking the reading. It's an automatic machine with an upper arm cuff rather than a wrist one, I have heard that the wrist ones are pretty inaccurate...

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Why did you buy a pressure monitor to begin with, out of interest?

A few years ago someone at work had one of those wrist ones and we were all trying it out and my readings came out quite high. Didn't pay much attention at the time. Then a couple of years ago I had some pain in my chest... Again I kind of ignored it, assumed that I had pulled a muscle at the gym but then told someone at work who made me panic and told me to go to an NHS Walk In Centre immediately. I went and the woman said that my BP was high but my heart sounded strong but she referred me to my GP. Went to see him that evening and he said it was fine and that everything was OK and that if I had heart probs there would be no way I could cycle 120 miles per week and do 10k runs...

But then a week or 2 ago I tried my dad's monitor and the reading was pre hypertensive, so I decided to get my own, it was cheap on Amazon but is a good one, an approved, calibrated Omron model. Just wanted to see how my pressure was throughout the day....

WisePranker

Headhuunter wrote:

davis wrote:

I'm not going to comment on the blood pressure; I don't know enough.

Are you using the monitor correctly? If it's one of those wrist-strap monitors they can be very... sensitive to how they're used. I can make one go into panic mode depending on where/how I hold my arm.
I do know a few doctors that don't trust any of those auto-inflating cuff things though, even the large "professional" machines that are sometimes in GPs' offices.

Well I have followed the guidelines in the instructions. I sit quietly for a few moments before taking the reading. It's an automatic machine with an upper arm cuff rather than a wrist one, I have heard that the wrist ones are pretty inaccurate...

Some of the upper arm ones aren't particularly accurate either!
You will probably find that as you become more anxious about your bp, it will rise a little just like happens when people go to see the GP.

Personally I wouldn't be overly concerned about it!

Headhuunter

BTW, my age is 38 not 3 8) .... Not sure what happened there...

kelsen

Headhuunter wrote:

BTW, my age is 38 not 3 8) .... Not sure what happened there...

Mental age?

Headhuunter

kelsen wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

BTW, my age is 38 not 3 8) .... Not sure what happened there...

Mental age?

May be...!

Eskimo427

try some of this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... rokes.html

willy b

I registered at a new GP 2 weeks ago, as part of this process I had to take a blood pressure reading. I was upset/concerned when over three readings I had 152/153/127

I eat healthy, and ride/exercise alot so was confused by this! I booked another appointment with my GP to get a medical certificate signed for a race, she took by BP again, where my readings were around 140/145/130.

Again this was seen as quite high I though, so asked if this was a problem. She basically sad that the machines are really quite inaccurate! I shouldn't worry as to be classed as having HBP you need to have 3 readings that are all high, on three separate occasions.

Apparently there are so many different factors connected to BP readings, such as stress and nervousness whilst at the doctors.

Headhuunter

Eskimo427 wrote:

try some of this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... rokes.html

Interesting. Actually as part of my OCD attention to diet and healthy living I do drink beetroot juice, but not daily. I tend to make my own juice at home at the weekend....

rjsterry

Dunno in the first instance, but I would caution against self-diagnosis - worth investigating though. I think heredity is a fairly significant factor in high blood pressure - it's always one of the questions on those health questionnaires for life insurance.

dhope

Eskimo427 wrote:

try some of this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... rokes.html

Take it with a pinch of salt. Okay, not literally, but
http://kill-or-cure.heroku.com/

Headhuunter

willy b wrote:

I registered at a new GP 2 weeks ago, as part of this process I had to take a blood pressure reading. I was upset/concerned when over three readings I had 152/153/127

I eat healthy, and ride/exercise alot so was confused by this! I booked another appointment with my GP to get a medical certificate signed for a race, she took by BP again, where my readings were around 140/145/130.

Again this was seen as quite high I though, so asked if this was a problem. She basically sad that the machines are really quite inaccurate! I shouldn't worry as to be classed as having HBP you need to have 3 readings that are all high, on three separate occasions.

Apparently there are so many different factors connected to BP readings, such as stress and nervousness whilst at the doctors.

I've taken a few readings daily with my machine and it's all very consistent. Around 120-130 ish over 60-70 in the mornings and evenings and 142-146 over 72-77 ish throughout the day at work....

AndyManc

40% of adults have high blood pressure.

If you're going to the doctors be aware of 'white coat syndrome' , research was carried out that pointed to many patients being diagnosed wrongly because of 'doctors room readings'.


.

Headhuunter

rjsterry wrote:

Dunno in the first instance, but I would caution against self-diagnosis - worth investigating though. I think heredity is a fairly significant factor in high blood pressure - it's always one of the questions on those health questionnaires for life insurance.

Yep. Must be in my genes. My dad takes HBP medicine and apparently his dad had to take it too, but didn't bother. He was a gritty Yorkshireman and wouldn't have been bothered with silly pills... He probably lost them in his garage whilst dissasembling a car on his own, he was like that. He lived until he was 96, in fact all my grandparents lived into their 90s, so I suppose I have that on my side!

deptfordmarmoset

I have hypertension problems (one of my kidneys is badly plumbed in) and I have to take a daily cocktail of ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, diuretics plus the bog-standard statins and aspirin, just to get similar BP levels to yours. I do find, though, that a good bike ride will take my diastolic levels lower than yours. (It might be interesting to see whether your diastolic BP dips after exercise.)

Docs seem to regard my current BP levels as satisfactory and have even considered reducing dosages. However, I had a running joke with my old GP because I could beat her automatic BP monitor into submission before we got the medication right. It was a bit of a lightweight, only going up to about 250 on the systolic. I can do that (and probably do do that) in my sleep!

I'd guess your GP could well tell you, ''Yes, your BP is slightly high for you age but it's nothing to worry about.''

Headhuunter

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I have hypertension problems (one of my kidneys is badly plumbed in) and I have to take a daily cocktail of ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, diuretics plus the bog-standard statins and aspirin, just to get similar BP levels to yours. I do find, though, that a good bike ride will take my diastolic levels lower than yours. (It might be interesting to see whether your diastolic BP dips after exercise.)

Docs seem to regard my current BP levels as satisfactory and have even considered reducing dosages. However, I had a running joke with my old GP because I could beat her automatic BP monitor into submission before we got the medication right. It was a bit of a lightweight, only going up to about 250 on the systolic. I can do that (and probably do do that) in my sleep!

I'd guess your GP could well tell you, ''Yes, your BP is slightly high for you age but it's nothing to worry about.''

I haven't tried taking my BP after exercise.... Might give that a go for fun! Have you tried yoga or meditation? Apparently that can help.... Ommmm.... Your systolic was over 250?! Good god!

veronese68

I'm very wary of reading too much on the internet as it can make you worry too much. It's very hard to seperate the truth from quackery.
I would say get it checked out, but also if your family are predisposed to it and they have all lived long lives it's probably not too much to worry about for you.
You're obviously fit and healthy with all of the exercise you do. Relax and enjoy yourself.

Headhuunter

Veronese68 wrote:

I'm very wary of reading too much on the internet as it can make you worry too much. It's very hard to seperate the truth from quackery.
I would say get it checked out, but also if your family are predisposed to it and they have all lived long lives it's probably not too much to worry about for you.
You're obviously fit and healthy with all of the exercise you do. Relax and enjoy yourself.

Thanks. I'm hoping you're right and the GP says it's nothing to worry about.

bails87

dhope wrote:

Eskimo427 wrote:

try some of this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... rokes.html

Take it with a pinch of salt. Okay, not literally, but
http://kill-or-cure.heroku.com/

NHS Behind the headlines has covered this.

High blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and therefore reducing it is often assumed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, whether this is the case will depend on if the effect is great enough, and if the reduction can be sustained over time. Whether drinking beetroot juice can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease would therefore need to be tested in long-term studies that assessed outcomes such as heart disease or stroke

The Daily Mail isn't a particularly reliable mdeical journal Although if the Express is to be believed it's now safe to eat spoonfuls of salt. Mmmm, I'm on my third bowl of the day!

walkingbootweather

Best get your will up to date, just to be on the safe side.

Seriously though, Mrs WbW has been in nursing for 20 years and is now pretty senior. She would tell you not to trust domestic digital bp monitors, or for that matter readings taken by many GPs (from her experience they often don't take readings correctly, send patients to hospital who can find nothing wrong).

You are right to get it checked out, but if you are eating and exercising well without apparent problems, chances are you have nothing to worry about.

bails87

I'd agree with WBW, you're healthy, you eat well and exercise. This only seems to be a problem now that you've got a monitor, rather than you struggling to climb a flight of stairs/blacking out/anything like that.

Obviously, go and see your GP, but I wouldn't worry about it.

I also get the heartbeat thing, I'll suddenly feel it very obviously beating for a few minutes and then it'll go back to normal. God knows what it is, but there's no family history of heart problems, I've had by BP/pulse taken a few times at the doctors with no concerns, and like you I eat fairly well, exercise and am fitter than a lot of my 'peers'.

Headhuunter

Thanks for your reassurances... Perhaps I'm overreacting. Will let you know what the doc says...

Ian.B

Self diagnosis based on the internet is a well known cause of high blood pressure

Eskimo427

bails87 wrote:

The Daily Mail isn't a particularly reliable mdeical journal

The Daily Mail was the first link I clicked on after googling Beetroot Juice. I knew it was good for you but didn't have any specific websites in mind with information on it. Your right, The Daily Mail isn't exactly the first port of call for reliable information.

cycladianpirate

"By all means worry about your health. But order the coffin first."

Agent57

When I went into the hospital last week and had the tests that eventually led to my DVT diagnosis, I noticed my blood pressure is 144/81. My pulse was only 45 though. No idea if that means my BP is high or not.

Initialised

Eskimo427 wrote:

try some of this:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... rokes.html

Yeah but reading the Daly Fail has been shown to increase your heart rate and blood pressure. Anyhow, they're almost as bad as Murdocracy... make's my blood boil...

Headhuunter

Agent57 wrote:

When I went into the hospital last week and had the tests that eventually led to my DVT diagnosis, I noticed my blood pressure is 144/81. My pulse was only 45 though. No idea if that means my BP is high or not.

Yes it's high, or at least your systolic is high, you diastolic is ok... Similar to me. Anything over 140 over 85 is high. However 1 reading in isolation means very little...