Blood pressure - treatment?

[Greybeard]

Being burdened with an excess of the above (according to my doc, who persists in winding me up by being late for every appointment and then records it in psi ) I've been cruising the 'net - not the best way of reducung it. Especially when I came up with this....


Yes, it's a genuine screen shot - it seems that a burger in Hull counts towards one of my five a day providing it has salad in it
Steve (wot's now giving up trying to be healthy and sticking to cycling just to save fuel )

[fausto copy]

Hi Steve, sorry to hear you're suffering from the noted excess.
All I can do is recommend cycling, cycling and more cycling.
However, a mate of mine who cycles around 70 miles a week and weighs only 8 stone dripping wet has recently been diagnosed with high blood-pressure too.
He didn't want to go on statins and his wife, who is an excellent cook, has put him on a low fat diet.
Actually, he's really on a NO fat diet. She has discovered some cooking oil that is actually fat -free. Not joking, but not sure of the product name. Anyhow, after several months of really strict dieting, his blood pressure has reduced dramatically.
So it can be done, but it certainly ain't easy.
Hope you can get it under control.
Happily, I had mine checked by the practice nurse last week and she had to take it twice as she didn't believe the first reading. Fortunately mine is well within parameters and when she showed surprise (and glared at my middle-age spread) I simply stated that "that's what cycling 70 miles a week does for you". But as I'm 50% heavier than my mate above, and the same height, there seems no logic to it.

[MikewsMITH2]

He didn't want to go on statins and his wife, who is an excellent cook, has put him on a low fat diet.

Statins are intended to lower cholesterol not blood pressure. However. high cholestrol can lead to blocked arteries which can increase blood pressure but is not usually the primary cause.

The main drugs of choice for high blood pressure are beta blockers. Then there are also ACE inhibitors and Calcium Channel blockers, but millions of us are on beta blockers. Except in Hull of course where burgers are generally prescribed.

Healthy diet with low sodium intake, exercise and losing weight will help, but aren't usually the whole answer. Its mainly your genetic make up. Just keep taking the tablets Steve.

Mike wot is on every tablet going

[GrahamNR17]

Just keep taking the tablets Steve.

Damn, I wanted to use that line

My Aged Parent was diagnosed with high BP last year. It's strange, her diet is almost too perfect; zero saturated fats etc etc. She's been on three different drugs so far but it remains all over the place. It's lowest when I can get her to exercise regularly, which thanks to the better weather should be more frequent now. I can't get her on a bike as she's lost her nerve for it, but my prescription of a small dog has helped.

Mind you, being from 'ull yours may be genetic - or more likely a requirement

Hope you get it sorted, but do keep un informed as I'd be interested in what works for you (perhaps going back to work didn't help?)

Good luck with it

[eileithyia]

I'm not surprised your b/p is up after waiting for the Dr who is then late.

There is also 'white coat' b/p, very often people have a tendancy to get anxious when visitingthe doc so their b/p naturally rises.
Best bet is a 24 hour monitor which monitors your b/p throughout the day while doing your normal activities, the info is far more informative.

As for weight, age, exercise etc., oh so many parameters affect b/p; genes, stress, cholesterol, dehydration, so no idividual is the same and cannot be compared.

[thirdcrank]

There was a piece i the paper the other day about the number of people now thought to have high blood pressure brought on by visiting the doctor. Apparently there is going to be an increase in the use of devices worn by the patient at home for 24 hours. Slap dash weighing rattles me: weigh the patient in light cycling togs in one visit, boots, and layer upon layer of winter clothing at the next and then comment on a weight increase

I'm in the never smoked, active cyclist, low cholesterol, mother still alive at 91 category and I'm taking enough tablets to make me rattle. It has brought my BP down.

PS Now you know why the noble Baron Precott is considered slim in Hull.

[MikewsMITH2]

[quoteThere is also 'white coat' b/p, very often people have a tendancy to get anxious when visitingthe doc so their b/p naturally rises.
Best bet is a 24 hour monitor which monitors your b/p throughout the day while doing your normal activities, the info is far more informative][/quote]

I would think the doc is more scared of GB

I got a home BP machine and took my BP several times a day for a month and recorded it on a spreadsheet calculating max min median etc. This enabled me to get the doc to reduce my dosage. By exercising daily I have reduced it to half a tab of the lowest dose per day. Whatever the reason for your raised BP most docs will give you beta blockers. They hand em out like sweeties to the over 50s. I am told there are targets and funding for reducing the nations BP. Sorting out the economy mightt work better than drugs though. Mrs MWS2 takes lots of BPs every day and reckons half of them are on beta blockers

[hubgearfreak]

that's a properly rubbish advert placement. it ought to be as illegal as B&H appearing next to the article

i hope that some tablets or other works for you steve, but as eileithyia points out below, you'll not really know what it really is when being measured that way.

I'm not surprised your b/p is up after waiting for the Dr who is then late. There is also 'white coat' b/p, very often people have a tendancy to get anxious when visitingthe doc so their b/p naturally rises..

having said that, the doctor wants you to excercise, to not smoke, to drink little and eat more fruit and veg with little or no meat & cheese.
whether the medics record the true figure or an elevated one, the latter may get better results from the whole population of the over 50s?

[E.C.Ryder]

I`m in my early 60`s and have had high blood pressure for the past 3 years and take Amlodipine 5mg tablets twice a day, I regularly cycle, keep to a low fat diet, don`t smoke or drink. Have a monthly check up with the Nurse, I have other health issues that are probably not helping my BP at the moment. So a little change in your lifestyle will help.

[Greybeard]

Thatnks for the encouragement folks As far as lifestyle goes, I cycle 100 miles a week commuting plus weekend rides etc, don't smoke/drink and eat plenty of fruit for luch at work - I know I'm overweight and I enjoy a decent meal but I don't feel fat
I do have high cholesterol but that's a genetic thing, so I'm stuck with it After my last visit I did buy one of these diy thingies and have checked my bp at different times during the day - before and after rides/cutting the grass etc. Not once has it been above the acceptable limits. I'm now wondering whether I should be on the ramipril tabs at all I shall present the evidence to the doc and see what she thinks (I did try the beta blockers for a short while but got fed up of being tired all the time)

Steve

[GrahamNR17]

I don't feel fat

[Greybeard]

I don't feel fat

I don't suppose you feel stumpy Thing is, with a little application I could lose weight

Steve

[GrahamNR17]

I don't feel fat

I don't suppose you feel stumpy Thing is, with a little application I could lose weight

Steve

[hubgearfreak]

Thing is, with a little application I could lose weight

in theory.

other than having a big dump, i bet you fall at the first hurdle (cake shop)

[Greybeard]

Do you see the sort of thing I have to put up with, folks? No wonder I'm always under pressure - with excessive pressure
Steve