blood pressure - what to expect?

[billwagnon]

I've been checking my blood pressure at the store and it's running about 140/85. A couple years ago it was more like 122/79.

I got divorced this last year, and put on 25 lbs (I wasn't a lightweight in the first place). For the last year I have had a lot of stress and have let myself go in some ways.

I bike ride a fair amount - two 46 mile rides in the past week, and I'm training for a century in early June. I started indoors back in January. I feel like I'm a strong cyclist and once I drop the extra weight I will be doing great. I am recovering very well from the long rides and I keep a good speed on the bike.

I made an appointment for a full physical two weeks from now. I had one last year and my triglycerides were high. They are probably about the same now. My dad has had heart problems (but no heart attack) since he was in his late 50s, and I'm about to turn 40 so I want to head this off.

My two big problems seem to be stress and weight. I have two non-driving teenages and one or the other needs driving somewhere most nights, I just got divorced in March (on relatively friendly terms) and I have a wonderful girlfriend who is the reason I made the doctors appointment. I feel like I always have to be somewhere else (and step on it!), so I am in the car a lot more than I would like.

SO - what do the doctors do about blood pressure? I am leery of any kind of medicine because of side effects, but my girlfriend (who has a lot of experience with health maintenance) says it will give me more energy to have my blood pressure reduced, and with more energy I will be better equipped to deal with stress and losing the "divorce weight". Has anybody else dealt with this and how did it turn out for you?

[Tobra]

exercise and lose weight, you don't want any meds unless you REALLY need them

You need to do something about the stress, meditate, or what ever it takes. Get enough sleep too, pretty crucial

[Jim Richards]

I am now on meds (can't you tell?). I was regularly measuring ~140/110, and at times, I even hit ~180/140. Bad stuff! I'm not at all heavy, I eat well, but I'm just getting older and have a family history of high BP. I even briskly walked to work (~20 min.) both ways Mon-Fri. Now, I'm regularly measuring ~ 110/70. I walk more, probably an additional 30-60 minutes/day. I haven't felt any side effects from the meds, but YMMV.

[MRM]

Whoa there. Those are bad numbers but nothing that can't be changed. I strongly disagree with the honorable gentleman from California about meds. Not taking meds your doctor suggests is the worst advice you can follow. I have an unfortunate and well researched involvement with this issue. My father died of a stroke at age 60 with blood pressure just north of yours. He was in excellent shape, did not smoke, and was his ideal weight. His only risk factor was high blood pressure.

Except this was ten years ago and he had an older doctor. He went in for his yearly physical about two months before he died. My mother went with him. The doc looked at his numbers, which by the old standards were considered borderline high blood pressure. The doc offered meds, to which my former mother reportedly threw a fit and said my father didn't need meds and would take care of it himself. By the old standards this was an acceptable response and the doc didn't think anything more of it. I still have the blood pressure card the doc filled out for my dad.

Two months later he had a massive hemoragic stroke and died without waking up again. The docs told us the only risk factors he had were that he was male (gets you a plus one) and his BP. When we told the cardiac docs what his BP was they just shook their heads. Turns out that every point above about 120 is a risk factor and when you get consistently above 130 you need to be on meds because the strain put on your cardiac system that increases your risk of stroke expodentially, regardless of weight, physical condition, etc. Diet and exercise can bring the numbers down, but usually that's not enough.

I always had similar numbers to my dad. As I went through my 20s my BP was in the mid 120s over 75-80, in my early 30s it was steadilly above 130 and touching 140. I was 6'4" and about 185. The doc sat me down and had a talk with me. Under todays' guidelines, anything over 130 is considered at least the risk that people though 150 was 10 years ago. The statistics on it are frightening. The doc put me on a half tablet of Maxide once a day. It has a slight diaretic effect, but otherwise no side effects. I went down from 140 to 120 over a reliable 75. The risk level between those two numbers is astonishing.

The important thing to remember, which my doctor drummed into me, is that a person with high blood pressure can expect to have a stroke some day, but that a person who naturally has high BP that is controlled with medicine is as healthy as someone without high blood pressure. Every year you live with high blood pressure increases your risk. Every year your blood pressure is controlled reduces the risk factor. The earlier you get on a medicine the easier it is to control the blood pressure, and the less likely it is that you'll need more invasive medicine in the future. As I said, I started taking Maxide when I was in my early 30s. I'm in my early 40s and have been controlled perfectly. I could last another ten years on a half tab of Maxide before I need anything stronger. And my risk factor is less than when I was 30.

Go to your regular doc, ask for a referral to a cardiologist, and follow whatever he says. Tens of thousands of men die every year with blood pressure numbers that used to be considered pre-hypertension. A doc told me that it's like 2 jumbo jets crashing every day, and the cause is treatable. You'll never be cured. You'll have to take something the rest of your life. But you'll live with your blood pressure under control and will never notice the difference. Check out the American Hear Association web site for some sobering statistics.

Diet, excercise and

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by Tobra

exercise and lose weight, you don't want any meds unless you REALLY need them

You need to do something about the stress, meditate, or what ever it takes. Get enough sleep too, pretty crucial

+1

[Rikao4]

First, those BP machine's in the store..not that accurate.
Given your bio, it's really not that bad.
Get the check up, continue with the bike, eat better, inform GF that SEX is a great stress buster.

Rika

[MRM]

140 is now officially considered high, not pre-hypertension according to the American Heart Association's web site. Check out their blood pressure health risk calcultor.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3027275

[fireant911]

billwagnon,
Buy a inexpensive BP monitor to confirm that it is high - plus it is good to have the ability to check one's BP at home. If it is (which I expect is true since even the in-store BP monitors must be verified and calibrated for accuracy), see your doctor immediately. Once you get on the medication, you will be surprised at how much better you will generally feel - it is an amazing difference! My BP was similar to yours and, yes, it is considered high. I am on Benazepril which has made a huge difference in my well-being. I am 44 years of age, a non-smoker, eat a very well-balanced diet, and a runner - the healthy lifestyle did not prevent my elevated BP.

[Tobra]

I will say it again

Originally Posted by Tobra

exercise and lose weight, you don't want any meds unless you REALLY need them.

You need to do something about the stress, meditate, or what ever it takes. Get enough sleep too, pretty crucial

If your doctor recommends meds for HTN and you don't take them you are stupid. Why waste both your time if you are going to pay to ask someone with a dozen years of training post their learned opinion then disregard it. In general, in this country, people are over-medicated, IMHO.

No offense meant, but in the tale related above, the wife apparently impeded the care of the husband, it happens ALL the time. Not a lot of symptoms from high BP or blood sugar, but over time the effects are devastating.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Rikao4

First, those BP machine's in the store..not that accurate....

That's been my experience too...I stick my arm in one on occasion, and once in a while I've had mine approach the 140 level. Every time I've had it checked with "legitimate" equipment, my BP is very good. Then again, I never have it checked immediately after reading PPOT political threads

[cgarr]

Meds=no more boner

[MRM]

The meds I am familiar with don't have that effect.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by cgarr

Meds=no more boner

Don't blame the meds for something that was previously defective.

[cgarr]

BAMMM! Ok, now were even-steven?

[Jim Richards]

LOL! We're even, Craig.

[livi]

I agree completely with Tobra. Western "modern" pill chewing school medicine has caught the general population in a strong grip of belief in pills. Pills for this, pills for that. Some are statistically effective for a majority who takes them, some are not. Furthermore, whats hip and scientific evidence today turns out no better than placebo tomorrow. And we have not even discussed negative effects yet.

With that blood pressure I would definitely go with life stile changes first, for say 6 - 12 months and see what happens. How you treat your body is many times at least as effective as pills. Much like a flat six engine. Drive her warm, regular exercise and good wholesome oil. No matter how much snake oil you pour into her, it won´t help if the basic treatment is forgotten.

Edit: Slightly exaggerating here to make a general point.

[Nathans_Dad]

Agree with livi. IF (caps intended) you can actually stick to a lifestyle change then you can likely bring your BP back to normal limits with diet, exercise and weight loss. Unfortunately in the US the percentage of people who can do this and stick to it is extraordinarily low. If your BP is running 140s/80s truly through the day that isn't all that horrible. If you saw me in clinic I would recommend lifestyle modification first and recheck in 6 months. If it is still up or higher at that point we would probably talk about low dose meds.