HBP - What's wrong?

[ChrisKH]

Oh dear; visited the doctor today and it looks like my cycling this year has come to an abrupt end. I need to see a consultant about my knee and whilst I was there she took my blood pressure and said my pulse was excellent (low 50's) but my blood pressure is far too high. So I've got a collection of blood tests now.

So what's high blood pressure? I can research it of course, but felt there might be a few like minded sufferers who can put their penny worth in.

 

[yello]

My doc says I'm borderline high. But it can vary hugely for me, depending on who knows what circumstances, anywhere from 120/70 to around 150/90. (I have had a reading of 166/125 before, but I think we'll put that down to a 'blip'!) I'd say it averages around 135/75 sort of area. I have a machine here at home to monitor it because I know it needs to be watched.

But my doc says I'm otherwise healthy, with no other risk factors. I don't smoke, don't drink too much and I'm active. So he does not see a real problem or a need to prescribe anything. Keep in mind that this is prescription happy France, a locum doc I saw once said he would have me on pills if I were his patient!

So, for me, high blood pressure is more than just numbers. It depends on a raft of other factors and is not necessarily something to worry about. Monitor, yes, but not worry about.

I know exercise brings it down. So unless you've been specifically advised NOT to ride then I wouldn't stop.

 

[Maizie]

How many times did she take your blood pressure? And when during the consultation?

My GP said at my last visit - a fortnight ago - that my BP was fine, and always had been. However, in the past when I've had it done, on a couple of occasions I've arrived, had the BP done, had the chat about this, that and the other, and then the BP has been done again. Usually with the result of 'Oh, that's better!' So a simple case of white-coat hypertension - high blood pressure from being in the presence of a doctor. Settle down for a few minutes and chat and then it's fine.

Check with your GP - who is the person who will know what to say, will do further readings, etc. And also have the details from the consultant.
I think it's unlikely they'll tell you to lay off the exercise though!

 

[Will1985]

unless you've been specifically advised NOT to ride then I wouldn't stop.

Medical staff are far too conservative sometimes - if we listened to everything they said then we would have to sell up and become inactive slobs.

 

[gb155]

Medical staff are far too conservative sometimes - if we listened to everything they said then we would have to sell up and become inactive slobs.

My GP told me when I started cycling that It was a huge risk, then he said, NOT losing weight was also a huge risk, he say its 50/50 if I should try via cycling or risk a slower weight loss via diet, I had to chose the path to take tho, glad I took the one I did

 

[ChrisKH]

How many times did she take your blood pressure? And when during the consultation?

My GP said at my last visit - a fortnight ago - that my BP was fine, and always had been. However, in the past when I've had it done, on a couple of occasions I've arrived, had the BP done, had the chat about this, that and the other, and then the BP has been done again. Usually with the result of 'Oh, that's better!' So a simple case of white-coat hypertension - high blood pressure from being in the presence of a doctor. Settle down for a few minutes and chat and then it's fine.

Check with your GP - who is the person who will know what to say, will do further readings, etc. And also have the details from the consultant.
I think it's unlikely they'll tell you to lay off the exercise though!

She took it three times in the end and the middle one was the worst! All were not that good. I'll have to knock the 10 espressos a day on the head now I suppose. I was trying to find some factors that may have increased my blood pressure but I don't smoke, rarely drink, not overweight (well half-one stone; I'm 13 st 4lb and six foot), I exercise regularly and I have a good diet. I do have a tendancy to drink fizzy drinks occasionally and I like coffee (no more than two a day) but that's it. Stress, I suppose work can be.

Let's see what the blood tests say.

 

[PpPete]

Here are my numbers from an endurance race I did last year, where I volunteered to take part in a study of cardiac function:

Height (cm)

​

187

​

Weight (kg)

​

88

​

Body Mass Index

​

25.30

​

Resting Heart Rate (bpm)

​

60

​

Resting Blood Pressure (mmHg)

​

140/80 (pre) 114/70 (post)

They also did loads of other tests (which wouldn't normally get done unles you had particular problem) pre and post race.

The best bit was later on in the comments on the ECG
.....Your ECG was typical of other highly-trained athletes.....
highly trained? moi? Made I larff i can tell you.

BTW apparently in Germany they are much more concerned about people with LOW blood pressure. My wife would be permanently on medication to INCREASE her BP if she lived there.

 

[Trek Trauma Chris]

The following are my understanding as regards to raised blood pressure. A skinny, tall, fit person can have raised blood pressure and a small, fat, unhealthy person can have normal blood pressure, size, body shape and fitness means nothing.

Raised blood pressure gradually makes your arteries brittle, so in general the doctors are not so concerned with younger persons having strokes as they are with older persons, but they do want to lower your pressures as soon as poss to stop the brittleness developing and this in most cases means medication.

Lifestyle changes can make a difference to your blood pressure, stop smoking, drink less alcohol,( binge drinking is a killer in young and old as it massively raises blood pressure) loose weight, proper diet, de-stress and keep fit, but many people dont want to make those sacrifices so they take medication. Medical conditions can also play a vital role in blood pressure regulation, the kidneys are a major factor, but thats what the blood tests are for.

Shop bought Blood pressure monitors are ok, but allow a discrepancy of about 10 in the readings e.g. reading is 120/60 treat as a poss 130/70 and so on. I have 3 different types and the best one is the Aneroid type. Bear in mind that blood pressures do rise in times of stress, job interview, dentist or first date with a new friend, but it will then fall back to a normal level 140/90 max for a healthy person, 130/80 max for someone with a medical condition e.g. diabetes.

I am 6'1" tall, weigh 14st, big boned, 55yrs, cycle 120-150 mls a week, play golf 3-4 times a week, practise Tai Chi, light weight train, drink in moderation (3 nights off then 3-5 units on the other nights) do not smoke, eat healthy. I have no medical issues yet my blood pressure with medication is generally 110/65 pulse at rest 51 bpm, without meds 150/110+ pulse the same. I started to get severe ache in the back of my neck, thought it was muscle cramp from having a car window down, on the third occasion in 2 weeks I realised it was something else and my G.P. confirmed it was high blood pressure.

If your blood pressure is high for no reason, dont muck about get it treated, as it is not called "the silent killer" for no good reason.

 

[ChrisKH]

Thanks all.

You will be glad to know that the original reading has been put down to human error, machine error or maybe I was just having a bad day as my weekly check up reading was 123 / 81. Nurse said it was comparable to the result she would expect for an 18 year old and there was no point in me attending in future. Mrs KH said she quite liked the idea of sleeping with an 18year old.

 

[walker]

chris, did you cycle to the doctors?

 

[Davidc]

chris, did you cycle to the doctors?

If you exercise and then stop you'll tend to have low BP for a while afterwards.

 

[ChrisKH]

chris, did you cycle to the doctors?

No, not on this occasion as I have a dodgy knee at the mo.

 

[ASC1951]

If you exercise and then stop you'll tend to have low BP for a while afterwards.

At the start of the year my BP was briefly at a GP-fretting 159/101 with a waking pulse of 59. A programme of losing weight, changing diet and recently stopping alcohol has brought it down to 124/78 and 48, which I reckon is acceptable for someone with a free bus pass.

As part of that I took BP readings after exercise and it made no difference at all, neither immediately I stopped nor an hour later. The only real trend is that the average late evening reading is a few points higher than in the morning.