[jyl]

5/9 cont

5:52 pm now the beet juice experiment starts. drink 8 oz beet juice sitting in armchair at home, immediately before that I am 127/81 72
6:09 pm lying in the sun taking a little nap 98/64 75
6:12 pm lying in the sun taking a little nap 107/66 71
6:32 pm sitting up on the grass eating fish tacos with the kids 119/79 79
7:16 pm lying in bed 100/60 76
9:17 pm lying in bed 104/61 55

The BP readings during this day are more variable than I expected.

The high readings are all associated with being at work, in front of the monitors, watching numbers flash, reading press releases, listening to calls, making decisions. It didn't feel like a stressful day at all and my HR didn't get elevated but maybe work makes me uptight even though I don't know it.

The low numbers are when I'm laying down, which makes sense: I'm reading that BP is 5-8 pts lower when prone (below). But I've never seen 100/60 before. I wonder if that is the beet juice releasing its nitrates?

"The National Guideline Clearinghouse explains that diastolic blood pressure is approximately 5 mm/Hg higher when sitting than when lying down. Reports indicate that systolic pressure is 8 mm/Hg higher in the lying-down position than in the sitting position, but only when the person taking the blood pressure measurement positions the patient’s arm so that it is at the same level as the right atrium of the heart. Back support and leg position also play a role in blood pressure measurements. Crossing the legs increases systolic pressure by as much as 8 mm Hg."

Also, the "ride" measurements were taken when I was standing, straddling the bike, having just pulled off the road a minute or so ago. I'm reading that there isn't usually a big or consistent difference in BP between standing and sitting (except if your BP drops suddenly when you stand up, called "orthostatic hypotension", I don't have that). But I still wonder how accurate or significant those "ride" readings are.

JA, I'm not happy about those high numbers either. At 160/95 in the office I feel fine, lots of energy, working intently. On the bike I feel great.