Measuring Blood Pressure

Jules59
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by Jules59 »

BP cuffs attempt to measure the pressure inside an artery by compressing variable amounts of tissue between the skin and the artery and taking the reading from inside the pressure inside the cuff. Results vary depending of operator skills, cuff size to arm size ratio and positioning of the cuff.
Wrist cuffs show greatest inaccuracy because there are two bones at the wrist which makes it harder to occlude the artery as the radial artery can be displaced into an area of least compression.
In my old job we used regularly used direct intra-arterial pressure devices placed in the radial or femoral arteries, these often showed a more dynamic BP than that of a humeral BP cuff used concurrently.
However cuff measurements are still very valid as all the huge multicentre studies on long term BP and disease were/are done using humeral arm cuff BP as inserting more accurate intra-arterial devices into millions of people isn't practical.
Also smokers and diabetics could showed greatly reduced blood pressure at the feet, compared to arm, due to the resultant arterial disease.
Last edited by Jules59 on 24 Jan 2022, 6:56pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jdsk
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by Jdsk »

I think that the quoting might have gone awry...

: - )

Jonathan
Jules59
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by Jules59 »

yes - removed it
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Mick F
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by Mick F »

Had an "off" this morning, and taken to the minor injuries unit.
More about it in the On The Road section.

They took my BP and I explained that when stressed it goes up (of course).
Was in pain, and cut badly, but I still managed (surprisingly low to me) 181 over 102.
They weren't concerned about the 181, but the 102 was an issue.

Home now, and relaxed, though in a bit of pain. I'm not going to bother taking it again, but I'm sure it's fine.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Mick F
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

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The doc was in touch with me on Thursday last week and put a prescription out for me, plus a record sheet to record my BP.

Picked them up yesterday. Prescribed Candesartan cilexetil 4mg tablet. One per day. Had my second one this morning.
Side effects include feeling dizzy or faint.
I feel both. :cry:

From now on, I'll be taking them last thing at night as it's difficult to function in an active life and environment like wot I live in and I doubt I could balance on a bicycle! :shock:

If I feel no better by Friday morning, I won't be taking them again, and I'll be getting in touch with the doc.
From what I remember, this is the third or fourth of BP medications I've been on. All haven't agreed with me in the slightest, and these Candesartan are probably going the same way.
Mick F. Cornwall
thirdcrank
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by thirdcrank »

My completely non-medical advice is to stop reading the potential side effects. Obviously, if you do become ill, through taking medication or otherwise, get medical help.

I must have posted before that as a male since birth, I've had the symptoms of pregnancy several times, including a swelling tum. (At the same time, try to stop ignoring the well-known side effects of sherbet.)
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Mick F
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

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Feeling much better now ......... thank goodness. :D

Effects lasted about four hours. Next tablet will be bedtime tomorrow, not breakfast-time.

PS:
I didn't look at the side effects until I felt unusually weird this morning.
Mick F. Cornwall
Jdsk
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by Jdsk »

Mick F wrote: 8 Feb 2022, 1:47pmI didn't look at the side effects until I felt unusually weird this morning.
Did the GP say anything about feeling faint. And what you should or shouldn't do?

Thanks

Jonathan

NHS Advice: "Candesartan":
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/candesartan/
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
I have been on Candesartan for five years.
Did not have negative side effects for about 2 years in.
Chronic muscle performance hit, loss of power, noticeable in every day life!
Cramps, pain when rising front seat etc.
Light head is not that bad, you just get up slowly and occasionally be prepared for mild dizziness, even mild temporary loss of sight (a few seconds, I normally close my eyes till its passed whilst standing still holding on to something, its not all the time, just post rides next day) , I normally after a few seconds when I feel it coming on lean on something, its not short course downhill slalom, its predictable.

I can tell you that this is one of the least effective, least side effects you can take for your age, they are normally prescribed with other BP meds. Short lasting effectiveness, nine hours I believe?

Taking at a different time of day might help see GP.

I have recently returned to Candesartan after trying two other meds for about six months.
Losartan & Doxazosin..............they are very ineffective in controlling BP and have even worse side effects that I couldn't live with.

If you persevere with it, I have recently been prescribed 16mg but I am getting by with 8mg daily.
Exercise helps to lower my BP, you need to do regular exercise too I would of thought, which will mean less reliance on meds?

Jonathon will correct my babblings with his expert precise advice :P

Good luck,

https://www.rxlist.com/high_blood_press ... dition.htm
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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Mick F
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by Mick F »

Feeling absolutely crap.
Had five tablets so far, and my BP isn't any different to what it is usually without any meds.

Read the leaflet again, and underlined all the bits that I'm suffering from.
"you may notice tiredness" is mentioned no less than three times.
"tiredness, weakness" mentioned once and "weakness, lack of energy" once.
"Back pain, pain in joints and muscles" mentioned too.

Suffering from all that. Feeling knackered even walking around the house.

I'm not saying that this stuff is causing it, but all the other BP meds I've been on have been an issue, so going from experience, I'm very much suspecting that the Candestartan is causing it.

The doc wants me to take my BP four times a day for a week. So far, not a ha'porth of difference to my normal BP, so when I hand my record sheet in on Monday at the end of the seven days, I'm going to make an appointment to see him.
Mick F. Cornwall
S2L
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by S2L »

Mick F wrote: 11 Feb 2022, 3:44pm Feeling absolutely crap.
Had five tablets so far, and my BP isn't any different to what it is usually without any meds.

Read the leaflet again, and underlined all the bits that I'm suffering from.
"you may notice tiredness" is mentioned no less than three times.
"tiredness, weakness" mentioned once and "weakness, lack of energy" once.
"Back pain, pain in joints and muscles" mentioned too.

Suffering from all that. Feeling knackered even walking around the house.

I'm not saying that this stuff is causing it, but all the other BP meds I've been on have been an issue, so going from experience, I'm very much suspecting that the Candestartan is causing it.

The doc wants me to take my BP four times a day for a week. So far, not a ha'porth of difference to my normal BP, so when I hand my record sheet in on Monday at the end of the seven days, I'm going to make an appointment to see him.
I haven't read the all thread, so I don't know your background. My dad was hooked to ACE inhibitors (similar to what you take) and Beta blockers for 20 years, until he passed. Once they hook you there, there is no incentive for GPs to get you out, as they typically don't understand the needs of someone who wants to do a bit more than a walk in the park or a stroll on the local cycle path. Typically that's all you can do with those medications. They are just interested in keeping you alive. So, you'll have to get off them on your own will, which means you have to be in a position to not needing them anymore.
The usual: eat less carbs and fat and drop as much weight as sensible, cut as much salt as you can, better if you cut it out completely, avoid anything processed, avoid ALL alcohol (and smoking in case you do). To that, I would add cut meat and dairy... mainly the greasy stuff, like cheese, butter, cream and fatty meat... nothing wrong with chicken breast or a brisket.
If you eat a diet of mainly freshly cooked plant based stuff and the odd quality animal protein, you should get leaner fast.
That should work fairly quickly, in terms of lowering blood pressure.
Jdsk
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by Jdsk »

S2L wrote: 11 Feb 2022, 5:04pmThe usual: eat less carbs and fat and drop as much weight as sensible, cut as much salt as you can, better if you cut it out completely, avoid anything processed, avoid ALL alcohol (and smoking in case you do). To that, I would add cut meat and dairy... mainly the greasy stuff, like cheese, butter, cream and fatty meat... nothing wrong with chicken breast or a brisket.
If you eat a diet of mainly freshly cooked plant based stuff and the odd quality animal protein, you should get leaner fast.
That should work fairly quickly, in terms of lowering blood pressure.
Any evidence to support that in the type of hypertension that Mick F has described, please?

Thanks

Jonathan
Jdsk
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by Jdsk »

S2L wrote: 11 Feb 2022, 5:04pmOnce they hook you there, there is no incentive for GPs to get you out, as they typically don't understand the needs of someone who wants to do a bit more than a walk in the park or a stroll on the local cycle path. Typically that's all you can do with those medications. They are just interested in keeping you alive.
That's a gross generalisation.

Do you have any evidence that many GPs aren't doing their best to protect their patients from strokes and heart attacks and heart failure?

Thanks

Jonathan
Jdsk
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by Jdsk »

S2L wrote: 11 Feb 2022, 5:04pmMy dad was hooked to ACE inhibitors (similar to what you take) and Beta blockers for 20 years, until he passed.
Candesartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker. These have some similarities to ACE inhibitors, but some important differences in adverse effects, which is very relevant to this discussion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiotens ... or_blocker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACE_inhibitor

Jonathan
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Re: Measuring Blood Pressure

Post by S2L »

Jdsk wrote: 11 Feb 2022, 5:11pm
S2L wrote: 11 Feb 2022, 5:04pmOnce they hook you there, there is no incentive for GPs to get you out, as they typically don't understand the needs of someone who wants to do a bit more than a walk in the park or a stroll on the local cycle path. Typically that's all you can do with those medications. They are just interested in keeping you alive.
That's a gross generalisation.

Do you have any evidence that many GPs aren't doing their best to protect their patients from strokes and heart attacks and heart failure?

Thanks

Jonathan
They are doing their best to keep patients alive... that's what I said. In my dad's case, the advice to change his lifestyle was always a weak proposition (have you thought about eating less XXXX?), that came after a new pill or an increase in dosage of the old pill to fix the new problem. By the time he was in his 70s, he was on 14 separate medications. During those 20 years, he never dropped a pound and never changed any of his (unhealthy) habits. The message was never loud and clear...
My regret is that he lost 20 years of quality of life. He would have been so much healthier and so much more capable, had he been helped to change his habits and get off some (or all?) the pills.
Things are changing in the NHS somewhat, but I can see the old habits are still there.. my wife regularly gets prescribed drugs that she doesn't need or want, let alone ask for... once she was prescribed amitriptyline because she has some abdominal pains... I mean... amitriptyline {FFE - family-friendly edit }... what were they thinking? She got prescribed a beta-blocker to address some kind of skipped beats, which after a stress test turned out to be nothing to worry about... luckily she never took the damn pills!
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