Blood Pressure Numbers

[BeccainSC]

I have tried searching on the 'net but cannot seem to locate the answer to my specific questions. Is having one of the two numbers in the BP reading high while the other is low/normal still considered to be high blood pressure? Is it less serious if both numbers aren't high? Or is one number more indicative of a problem than the other?

I'm curious because so often when I have my pressure checked (or do it myself at the local pharmacy) my bottom number is well below the "optimal" number, but the top number tends to be in the "borderline"/"mild" range.

Thanks!

[gitfiddle]

Becca, the way I understand it, the lower number is the more important of the two.

Carol

[Gaelen]

Is having one of the two numbers in the BP reading high while the other is low/normal still considered to be high blood pressure?

Usually, yes. If the systolic (top number) is high, it means that the pressure on the arterial walls at the highest point of the cardiac phase/heartbeat is too high, and over time, that wreaks havoc on the elasticity of the arteries.
If the diastolic (bottom number) is high, its an indication that the pressure on arterial walls isn't an up-and-down thing, but is something more constant, with its own set of problems. From "Emergency Care in the Streets" (the standard DOT textbook for paramedics...)
"All levels of blood pressure put mechanical stress on the arterial walls. Higher pressures increase heart workload and progression of unhealthy tissue growth (atheroma) that develops within the walls of arteries. The higher the pressure, the more stress that is present and the more atheroma tend to progress and the heart muscle tends to thicken, enlarge and become weaker over time."


Is it less serious if both numbers aren't high? Or is one number more indicative of a problem than the other?

Also important in blood pressure readings is pulse pressure, or the numerical difference between systolic and diastolic pressures. 40 mmHg is considered a healthy resting pulse pressure, with elevation during and for up to 10 min. after aerobic exercise up to 100mmHg as acceptable. However (also from ECS):

"If the usual resting pulse pressure is measured as less than 40 mmHg, the most common reason is an error of measurement. If the pulse pressure is genuinely low, e.g. 25 mmHg or less, the cause may be low stroke volume, as in Congestive Heart Failure and/or shock, a serious issue. This interpretation is reinforced if the resting heart rate is relatively rapid, e.g. 100-120 (in normal sinus rhythm), reflecting increased sympathetic nervous system activity. If the usual resting pulse pressure is consistently greater than 40 mmHg, e.g. 60 or 80 mmHg, the most likely basis is stiffness of the major arteries, aortic regurgitation (a leak in the aortic valve), an extra path for the blood to travel from the arteries to the veins, hyperthyroidism or some combination. (A chronically increased stroke volume is also a technical possibility, but very rare in practice.) Some drugs for hypertension have the side effect of increasing resting pulse pressure irreversibly. A high resting pulse pressure is harmful and tends to accelerate the normal ageing of body organs, particularly the heart, the brain and kidneys."


i'm curious because so often when I have my pressure checked (or do it myself at the local pharmacy) my bottom number is well below the "optimal" number, but the top number tends to be in the "borderline"/"mild" range.

Becca, those pharmacy 'check your pressure' machines are notoriously inaccurate. If you're concerned, get a self-inflating or automatic BP monitor, and periodically take your own pressure, first thing in the morning before eating or moving around, and after exercise, and keep an eye on your pulse pressure. I know some docs don't feel that a wrist BP monitor is as accurate as an arm cuff...frankly, my personal favorite is always an arm cuff with a stethoscope...but like a scale, a personal BP monitor whether wrist or arm gives you a consistent barometer, vs. the pharmacy machines, which you can't control. I've had a wrist monitor for four+ years, and it's pretty consistent (and in that context, accurate) in its readings when compared to readings others take with an arm cuff/scope or with an automatic BP machine in the doc's office. Also, look for a self-inflating one...the action of inflating the cuff can distort the reading. Hope this helps!

[BeccainSC]

Gaelen,

Thanks so much for the detailed information. I think I tend to obsess over my blood pressure, even though my doctor has never been concerned about it, because it was the last thing to "go" so to speak with my health. I was always at a steady 110/70-75 even when pregnant or otherwise overweight with bad cholesterol and what not. When it started creeping to the 130/80 range I began to panic. I really had hoped to see a significant drop since doing bootcamp, but that hasn't been the case.

Just using my 2 Red Cross readings, which I'd assume are far more accurate than the pharmacy machines, I went from 130/98 in April to 126/84 just over a week ago (it was 148/71 at the pharmacy yesterday).

I have an appointment with my doctor in a couple of weeks for a complete physical so I'll discuss it more with her then. Sometimes I think it goes up when I'm there though, stress from waiting forever or "white coat syndrome" or something.

Carol, thanks for your input too.

Here's hoping I can get my mind on other things for a few weeks!

[BeccainSC]

Thought I'd stick an update in here since I have official doctor's office numbers now: 122/74. :D I'm thrilled! Things like this really help to keep me motivated.

'becca

[dvdmon]

I think BP is one of those things that's really slippery because it depends on so many factors. There's the "white coat effect" which is that when you go to the doctor's, you might be a bit on edge and your BP may be a little elevated as a result. Then there's the fact that the nurse or whomever is taking it might be talking to you while doing it, and you might have just sat down after standing for some other things (like to weigh yourself). Supposedly, to get a good measurement, you really need to be resting (ie sitting of lying) for at least 5 minutes before it is taken. I've gotten my pressure taken at various times over the last year or two at doctors' appointments and the red cross and they've varried from 140/98 to 120/80. We got an automatic one from CVS and so I take it at home from time to time, so that at least keeps me less panicky, since I know if I rest for a while, it goes down to relatively normal levels. They've also progressively made the recommended numbers lower to where optimal is actually LOWER than 120/80. I just wonder if the same issues are at play here as with cholesterol where doctors just assume that lower means better and the lower the recommended number, the more likely one is to be prescribed meds for "high" BP? I'm sure it hasn't gotten anywhere close to the frenzy over cholesterol, and truly high BP is definitely linked to serious problems, unlike the pretty weak linkages of high cholesterol. Also, from what I hear, our BP naturally goes up as we age. I'm not sure if that is something that is due to some progressive problems that we can actually prevent, or whether it is a necessary sign of aging. But apparently age at least used to be taken into consideration when taking BP ratings...

[Steve Newman]

Is it normal for the blood pressure readings to change dramatically? Prior to starting the plan (in three weeks I have lost 12 pounds of the 20 that I need to lose) my BP was 110 over 70. Now it is 165 over 95? What am I doing wrong?:confused:

[Mitra]

It's usual for blood pressure to drop when people reduce their carb intake. For a few people that doesn't happen, but I haven't heard of low carb diets causing BP to go up. If that high reading is more than just a one-off, it would be a good idea to check it out with your doctor. Have you changed anything else, apart from your diet? Maybe you've added a food that you're allergic to? Something completely unrelated to food is also possible.

[dvdmon]

Yes, as Mitra said, I've not heard fo LC increasing BP at all, let alone a lot very quickly. Sounds like something else is going on, so you might want to double check your readings and make sure that one was accurate. If it is accurate, there are lots of factors that can increase BP, stress, dehydration, etc. Had you checked your BP recently before starting LC? If not, could there have been a change prior to starting due to some other factor?

[bluejay111]

Below is a link to a very interesting article about blood pressure. Note that as the numbers are lowered big pharma makes billions more.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/sick1.html

[Mal Lady]

Below is a link to a very interesting article about blood pressure. Note that as the numbers are lowered big pharma makes billions more.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/sick1.html

Sometimes, it makes you wonder??? Do I really have to keep it below 120/80???

When I sit down and immediately take my blood pressure it is over that. But, if I sit camly for about 2-4 minutes, it goes down to around 117/74.
So, is this a "bad reading" the first time or a "good reading" the second time and can I "count" the second reading. I also can "make" my reading go down considering what I am thinking about at the time the reading is taken. Is that "cheating"?

Such a confusing think to think about. I know when I first went on bp meds - it was because it was up to 188/110 at the doctors office and he wouldn't let me go home until it came down. Now, I can understand that I needed the meds then. But, when does it become "too low"? I have had readings as low as 97/66. Everyone at the dr. office thought that was "great". I didn't think so and asked to be taken off one of my meds. I felt so much better afterwards. No more "tremors" that were not natural. (I never had my hands "shake" like that before and it worried me.) :eek:

I do believe a lot of this is pushed on the consumer(patient) to sell more drugs. It is for the savvy patient to take an active part in their health and not just let the doctors be like "god" and we as their patients follow like sheep! Ask questions and do your research to prevent being over medicated. JMHO!!!

Sharon

[maxlharris]

You should be taking your BP in a relaxed state. Generally 15 minutes of relax before. That's the guideline. It happens exactly never in a doctors office. It can happen in the home, but frequently doesn't. You should also not be taking BP readings within 5 minutes (maybe 15 mins) of each other. So, neither reading is particularly great, in terms of validity. But I'd lean towards the 117/74. It's closer to a relaxed state. I bet, if you just sat quietly for 15 minutes, thought of tropical beaches, and then took it, you'd get something that would keep you off BP meds for good.

Definitely profitable to keep the number lower. More drugs. More patient visits to monitor drugs. With LC, it tends to go down pretty quickly at the start. Glycogen dump tends to unconstrict the system. I wonder if this is related to the overall good feeling people get when they start the LC, after any carb-flu passes. Get the water out, and everything flows easier. I'm a business major, I have no idea, only speculation.

[sweetpoison]

I had always wondered about the fact that at the docs they take the pressure without resting........ I was 140/80 last time.....now, if I go home and sit and then take it.....it is much lower. Makes me afraid to take meds if the doc is not getting the right reading.........

I also wonder just how high is safe when you are exercising or walking...whatever....you know it goes up then....but how high is it to go during exercise and when does it become dangerous?????

Vicki

[tapper47]

Below is a link to a very interesting article about blood pressure. Note that as the numbers are lowered big pharma makes billions more.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/sick1.html

Thanks for the link. Very interesting article.

[gitfiddle]

Below is a link to a very interesting article about blood pressure. Bluejay, I missed it the first time. Needed to know this!

[maxlharris]

I should also note there is a reasonably well understood phenomena called White Coat hypertension. My wife does this.

You can take your BP at home, resting and get a healthy number. You go to the doctor's office and you rate hypertensive. This is pretty normal as the test at your doc is a higher stakes test than the one at home. And going to the doc is inherently stressful. It can be very difficult for some people to get a normal BP reading at the doc's office.