blood pressure success

robertoso · June 22nd, 2005, 06:44 PM

I had high blood pressure(165 over 110) starting a few years ago (4). I have been medication free (40 mg of Atenalol) for over a year now through diet and exercise (usually 132 over 72 now). I am curious to hear other stories of problems and successes. Must mention that taking my job stresses differently had a lot to do with the sucess (eventually changed bosses in same career, that helped too). I want to prevent any future problems so any information or stories that are added would be very benificial.

**Old_Fart2** · June 23rd, 2005, 10:47 AM

I was having a problem with my blood pressure creeping up over the years, in spite of the fact that i have always exercised and eat a fairly clean diet.

One thing I have done lately is decrease my sodium intake and try to eat more fruit. Have you looked at The Dash Diet?

I have heard some anectodal evidence that heavy weight traing can raise your blood pressure (How Weight Training Affects Your Blood Pressure) but have been unable to find any verifiable information on this.

Currently I hover around 135/80 at age 53. My doctor doesn't seem to be too concerned since my cholesteral and triglyceride levels are great.

**Manfred_Man** · June 28th, 2005, 12:59 PM

i've had to watch my bp & cholesterol these last years due to heart health & diabetic history in my family... my dad's had a heart attack & a stroke and has diabetes, while my mom's has breast cancer and has diabetes all through her family (parents & siblings)...

nutrition, rest, exercise & regular checkups are key...

**Old_Fart2** · June 28th, 2005, 01:35 PM

Great point about regular check ups.

I think I mentioned this previously but about 4 years ago, I actually saw a guy drop dead in the gym. He was overweight, had just joined a few days before and had just finished 45 minutes of cardio. He went to the front, got a towel, got a drink of water and collapsed, dead of a massive coronary. He was 35 years old with a wife and kids.

Although my family has great longevity on both sides, my dad (who also had diabetes) died of a heart attack at age 56 (3 years older than I am now). I was 22 at the time and never got to develop a relationship with him as an adult.

Be around for your kids, whether they're young or old... take care of yourself.

**Manfred_Man** · June 28th, 2005, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old_Fart2

Be around for your kids, whether they're young or old... take care of yourself.

i'm sorry to hear about your dad, fart...
otherwise, a great word of concern & caution to everyone here at EF...

**mrrockhard123** · June 29th, 2005, 02:53 PM

i am also on atenolol for high bp., have been for 6 or 7 yrs. Im sure stress factored into the hi bp, as did family history. Over the years my weight creeped up too. With exercise and the med, i run in the 110/70 range. Lowering salt intake definitely helps as does regular cardio exercise, even if its brisk walking. A side benefit to being a blood donor is that it helps reduce bp too.

My current strategy is to go to the gym regularly and limit salt.

**jlf1965** · January 6th, 2006, 01:51 PM

I am currently taking Bisoprolol for my BP and have been on it since October. Given my recent history I recommend anyone having any problems get checked out by a specialist and not just an MD. My BP had been high on a few occasions when i went to the Dr. but they overlook that somewhat when you are sick or in pain as that can cause your BP to rise. It just so happens I finally relented to have neck surgery to take care of a bad disk in my neck that was supposedly causing me all these problems with muscle spasms because it was pushing on my spinal cord. To make a long story short when they did the pretest for my surgery the EKG came back that I had a problem. A local Cardiologist did a heart cath and I had a 99% blockage in one artery in my heart and i was told some of these muscle spasms i thought I had been having were actually heart attacks and I never knew it. So I got a stint in my heart for my 40th birthday. I thought I was in good health basically, except for 10-15 extra pounds i was packing and the fact that I had smoked for 20 years. I don't mean to ramble, especially since this is my first post outside POB, but after Old_Fart2 posted about the guy dying in the gym i just thought i would share my experience, because like me, that guy probably had no idea anything was wrong with his heart. So just to let any of you know that don't ,symptoms of a heart problem will not always be in your left side. All my pains had been in my right side and in my jaw. The jaw pain was one symptom I never knew about before this so I thought I would pass the info along.

**Hercalees!Hercalees!** · January 6th, 2006, 02:06 PM

jlf1965, I hope you're taking some type of antiplatelet therapy (baby aspirin, Plavix or both). Your 99% blockage in one coronary artery would predict that you have blockages elsewhere too (not only in coronary arteries but also neurovascular and peripheral vascular systems). An antiplatelet agent will significantly reduce your risk of having an additional event (stroke or MI). What are your current BP & cholesterol levels?

**jlf1965** · January 6th, 2006, 02:35 PM

I am on plavix and 4 baby aspirin minimum daily and zocor for cholesterol. I am also going to have a scan done pretty soon to have my arteries checked. My BP was 104-70 when I was at my regular doctor recently, but the highest it has been since the procedure was 132-78, and I am having lab work monday to check my cholesterol and any possible side effects from the medications. My cardiologist is convinced my problems were from lifestyle(smoking, fast foods, stress) and she is probably right, So I have changed that and I guess we will have to see what happens now, but i must say for those that have never been through it, these things can really mess with your mind.

**Hercalees!Hercalees!** · January 6th, 2006, 04:04 PM

It sounds like she knows her stuff, you're probably in pretty good hands. Four baby aspirin sounds like a lot w/ the Plavix though. Your risk for a bleed is somewhat elevated at that level. Diet and exercise need to be your new best friends. I know lifestyle changes suck, but you can drastically lower your risk of future problems. The cigs gotta go too bud. That may be the hardest of all to kick. Check out the nutrition & fitness sections and don't be afraid to ask for help there. I know the naked ladies are great, but there's other good stuff on this site too. Very best of luck!

**jlf1965** · January 7th, 2006, 12:53 AM

Thanks for the reply Hercalees!Hercalees! and to let you know the cigs have been gone since a week before the procedure. I actually quit that habit in preparation for the surgery that never happened and never went back. It has been tough but I won't go back to that. Yeah the POB is great too but I have been checking out the other parts of the site too since joining, it is just now that I am posting. And I will be asking for help in the fitness and nutrition sections in the near future.

brewtul · February 25th, 2006, 08:27 PM

I am an internal medicine M.D. I am what is called a hospitalist - basically I only work in a hospital, without an office for outpatient visits, seeing acutely ill people. Most of my patients are diabetic, hypertensive, or usually both.

First, I disagree with the poster who wrote that you need a specialist to evaluate your blood pressure. Any primary care physician worth a lick should be able to manage hypertension. Unfortunately, doctors are just people, kind of like car mechanics and baseball players. About 1/3 are above average, about 1/3 average, and about 1/3 below average. Some are a-holes and some are super-nice guys and gals. That being said, I encourage everyone who has a doctor whose talents they question, or whose doctor is simply a jerk, to fire him, STAT. There is no point in tolerating crappy care when your health is at stake. I take great pride in what I do, but I wouldn't recommend 1/2 of the doctors I work with to my Cocker Spaniel. Keep trying docs until you find one you like AND trust.

Now I'll get off my soapbox and get to the point about blood pressure. Lifestyle modification is always the first line if your blood pressure is less than 160/100. The goal these days is 125/70. They keep lowering the target. Basically as long as you are not light headed or fatigued all the time you can't get your pressure too low. By lifestyle modification doctors usually mean 1)if you smoke, quit. Now. No I mean now! 2)Reduce the salt in your diet - most Americans eat about 4 times the recommended daily allowance of sodium 3)If you are overweight lose the excess pounds NOW. There is preliminary evidence that bad diet kills more people than tobacco and alcohol combined. If after these measures you are still over 130/90 you need medication. Each of the 100's of BP meds have pluses and minuses. If one gives you unacceptable side effects (atenolol can cause impotence, for example) ask your doctor to choose another one. And if you are hypertensive you should take a baby aspirin (81 mg) every day. No more than that is needed unless you have a history of stroke or coronary artery disease.

The Doctor is in! Please respond generously with REPS and, of course, more questions.

**mudflap4874** · February 27th, 2006, 08:23 AM

High blood pressure has been in my family for as long as I can remember - first my grandfather had it, then my dad had it and now it sticks with me. I've been taking Diovan (80mg) for a long time now and I'm not sure if it's doing it's job.

My question is whether or not to check blood pressure before workouts (I am able to check it more regularly at the gym, than going to a doc office). My readings have been around the 145/100 area. Is that just because I am prepping myself for some intense lifting or is that just they way it is? When I do go to the doctor, the BP varies. Some days it's 130/85, others it's 160/120. I am never getting consistent read outs.

I exercise and watch the salt intake, but am I cursed with this issue? Is there something else I can do or mention something to my doc?

thanks!

**Hercalees!Hercalees!** · February 27th, 2006, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudflap4874

High blood pressure has been in my family for as long as I can remember - first my grandfather had it, then my dad had it and now it sticks with me. I've been taking Diovan (80mg) for a long time now and I'm not sure if it's doing it's job.

My question is whether or not to check blood pressure before workouts (I am able to check it more regularly at the gym, than going to a doc office). My readings have been around the 145/100 area. Is that just because I am prepping myself for some intense lifting or is that just they way it is? When I do go to the doctor, the BP varies. Some days it's 130/85, others it's 160/120. I am never getting consistent read outs.

I exercise and watch the salt intake, but am I cursed with this issue? Is there something else I can do or mention something to my doc?

thanks!

There's a few variables to consider here. What type of cuff are you using at the gym to take these measurements? You could unknowingly be using it incorrectly. Your point about psyching yourself up before the workout could have somewhat of an effect as well. In regards to the varying measurements in the office, there is a well-known phenomenon called white-coat hypertension wherein people have false elevated readings in a doctors office/hospital setting because their sympathetic nervous system becomes activated (nervousness) which raises their blood pressure. Eating too much salt that day or even having a couple glasses of water and not urinating can also have some effect on BP. The only 100% accurate way to gauge BP is to use an ambulatory BP cuff that constantly measures your BP for 24 hours (or even longer) at set intervals and gives a true picture of what your pressure is.

What should you do? Honestly, if you're correctly checking your pressure regularly at the gym and reading 145/100 than you probably need some extra control. Diovan is also available in 160 & 320 strengths as well or in combination with a low dose HCT (diuretic). Also, there are other meds in this same class (ARB's) that appear to be more effective (Benicar & Avapro). Schedule an office visit, tell your MD you've been checking your pressure and this is what you've found. The average hypertensive patient requires 2.5 medications to reach control, so don't be alarmed if another is added to your medication regimen.

**mudflap4874** · February 27th, 2006, 01:25 PM

Hercalees!Hercalees! - I don't know the exact type of cuff that is being used but it is the type of machine that you push a button and it does all the work itself. Probably not the best to measure with but there are "certified exercise specialists" that work there. So I figure they know what they are doing ... could be a mistake on my part.

I can understand the white-coat hypertension, probably might have some effect on me. I feel at ease waiting ... and waiting .... and waiting .. and waiting to be seen, but I guess deep down I am affected by it.

I do have an appt scheduled for Thursday afternoon - getting a complete physical - so I'll be sure to bring up these points. Thanks!

brewtul · February 28th, 2006, 12:50 PM

I agree with what Hercalees writes (excellent post) and I would add that it is quite normal for blood pressure to vary from reading to reading. That is why, by definition, a diagnosis of hypertension requires elevated blood pressure on several reads several weeks apart. That being said, the best way to get an idea of your average blood pressure, short of using a 24 hour ambulatory monitor, is to either buy a home cuff (for about $25) or go to whatever store in your area has a blood pressure machine (CVS, Walgreen, and Target usually do) and measure your blood pressure whenever you can. Write down the results and the time of day you took your pressure. After you have about 10 or so reads from different times in the day simply average the results. That will be as close to reality as you're going to get.

Sad truth is that most people with hypertension do wind up on multiple meds. The good news is that each of these medications have unique health benefits so that when you add them together the benefits are synergistic. Without knowing all of your health details I am reluctant to suggest particular meds, though I will echo what Hercalees said about diuretics. They are cheap (most are generic at this point) and effective. They work very well with Diovan (or any of the other Angiotensin Receptor Blockers - "ARB's" that Hercalees mentioned).

**Hicker_818** · June 28th, 2006, 07:55 AM

I had my blood pressure slowly climb over the years. It was 160/90. Ever since I have been on Avalide my BP is controlled to about 132/75 without those side effects that come from BetaBlockers. I have been quite satisfied with this treatment for the past 5 years.

**Haystack** · July 12th, 2006, 11:37 PM

My blood pressure used to be a little high. I started cooking from scratch and cutting alot of the sodium out of my diet. It quickly got down to normal.