High Blood Pressure and Diet Questions

[Marita40]

I've had an odd run of not-so-great health lately, and this last week was diagnosed with high blood pressure. That was a surprise since up to now (I'm in my early 60s) it has always been 120/80. So now I'm being tested every week for awhile and making what changes I can. I don't need to lose weight and I exercise modestly everyday--always have. I DO know you all are not doctors (maybe some are?), but I thought I'd pick your collective brains about two things:
1) After feeling great and maintaining optimal weight on a fairly high protein, moderate fat, and low carb diet, I'm advised now to go on the DASH diet. After all the research I've done on the benefits of low carb, I'm rather surprised to see it is really high carb! Lots of grains, fruits, veg, dairy, beans, and very little meat/fish. To be honest I am skeptical of nutrition advice coming from the government (natch) and I wonder what people's experience has been with this diet. As always with confusing recent food science, some nutritionists advocate the opposite diet, keto, for lowering BP! I just wonder if, in the long run, the only diet change really necessary is to lower sodium intake--which I do need to do. (And yes, I will follow my doctor's orders and go on DASH for at least the short term while I'm monitored.)

2) Can anyone recommend a home BP monitor? Omron seems to be a good choice but they have about a 100 different models and the choice is confusing.
Thanks all.

 

[braumeister]

Assuming you have a smartphone, I can heartily recommend the QardioArm.

I like it a lot. It's accurate, easy to use, and my doctor agrees.

 

[Tetto]

I too have high BP; my wife and I are both switching to a Mediterranean style diet. This is, IMO, the healthiest diet there is. It’s difficult to switch, but we’ll worth it and delicious!

 

[Winemaker]

Back when I was attempting to get admitted to the Air Force Academy, my physical at Wright Patterson alluded that I had high blood pressure for an 18 year old. It was 130/90, and they required me to monitor it as close to daily as I could for 90 days. My school nurse was able to help, and soon a pattern developed. Any day I had an egg dish (scrambled, fried,French toast, pancakes)for breakfast, my BP was 130/90. Mornings I had hot or cold cereal, it was 120/90 or lower. After 3 weeks, I just ate cereal for breakfast and after I sent my results back, the flight surgeon that handled my case wrote back. He asked what I did differently and I explained, but didn't believe me. Eggs still trigger a higher BP for me to this day, and I have an Omron HEM-712CL.

I ended up getting disqualified because I wanted to fly, and the height cutoff was 74" and I was 77" and wore glasses.

 

[John Galt III]

I have 'episodic hypertension', ie, every now and then my BP spikes to 150 over 100 even though I feel fine. I think it is caused by sodium intake, although that could be just one of several causes. I take my BP at drug stores and grocery stores randomly, and usually it is the classic 120 over 80, within plus or minus 5 %. I was taking baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to stop acid reflux and noticed my BP was 150 over 100. Stopped the baking soda, and the BP went back to 120 over 80 in a few days. I love me some fried chicken from the deli once in a while, and it seems to be loaded with salt, so that might be a new 'cause' of high BP for me. I also noticed that if I have any beer before the BP test, it always 120 over 80 or lower.

 

[street]

I use the OMRON wrist BP device. It seems to be fine and no complaints with the measuring device.

 

[bingybear]

I'm using an old onicon.
watch caffeine, alcohol. One cup of coffee will jump DW's BP for most of the day.

Adjust things and see what effects you.

And remember that stress is a killer. It can really jump BP. So quit stressing.

Personally I try more than moderate exercise (I'm not sure how you define it). I like to see if I can take the pacemaker to it's limit. However that will be difficult on my next pacemaker. -- seriously I would get the heart rate to where you have trouble holding a conversation ( breathing a little hard, not barely able to keep up with air needs). This is good for a number of things. Obviously check with your doctor before following SGOTI

 

[aja8888]

Last year I started experiencing SVT (super ventricular tricardia) which is uncontrollable heart beat. Had it fixed in December and all is well (so far). When this started, I was ten years on BP meds. I can't remember which Doc put me on them, but nevertheless, one did. The first thing my new cardiologist did was take me off the BP meds when I first experienced SVT. That was a strange decision (I thought), but my BP was fine off the meds, but occasionally SVT got triggered. Cholesterol is normal too.

I've been checking my BP daily since September and its normal. This morning it's 118/59/55 resting after taking the pooch out for a walk.

I'm 75, eat whatever I want, slightly over my desired weight and walk 5 miles per day. On a historical perspective, when I was much younger, I was a competitive long distance runner so maybe my cardio system is still pretty good.

I use an Omorn wrist cuff BP monitor and it's verified OK by my Doc. It's not as fancy as the smartphone ones, but it does the job and has a memory function for saving readings.

Good luck with the diet and BP monitoring.

 

[kaneohe]

This article https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases...rs/wrist-blood-pressure-monitors/faq-20057802

recommends arm monitors over wrist or finger ones.

"Some wrist blood pressure monitors may be accurate if used exactly as directed. However, the American Heart Association recommends using a home blood pressure monitor that measures blood pressure in your upper arm and not using wrist or finger blood pressure monitors."

 

[folivier]

There is a proper way to take your BP, unfortunately most nurses are not diligent enough about this. Last year I was seeing a surgeon weekly. His nurse would make sure I was sitting properly with my feet flat on the ground, hand resting on something at heart level, and did not ask me questions. My BP was always about 124/74 or so. Other nurses weren't as diligent and asked me questions, didn't properly sit me, and my BP was always about 10 points higher on both readings! Just an FYI to make sure when you take your BP to do it the same each time.

 

[braumeister]

There is a proper way to take your BP, unfortunately most nurses are not diligent enough about this.

This has been mentioned a number of times here, and I consider it a real problem.

90% of the time when my BP is taken in a medical office it's done improperly and reads high. I've commented on it to the doctor several times and the response is normally a roll of the eyes and "They do it the way they learned, and I can't fix that." Often, the doc will take it again personally and it's magically back to normal.

 

[street]

This article https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases...rs/wrist-blood-pressure-monitors/faq-20057802

recommends arm monitors over wrist or finger ones.

"Some wrist blood pressure monitors may be accurate if used exactly as directed. However, the American Heart Association recommends using a home blood pressure monitor that measures blood pressure in your upper arm and not using wrist or finger blood pressure monitors."

Might be true I have no facts to add, but I can say I have both a wrist and an arm BP devise and will check against each other and they are within a number of each other every time I cross check them. I have no idea what is best or not, I'm just saying. Thanks for your information.

 

[target2019]

I've had an odd run of not-so-great health lately, and this last week was diagnosed with high blood pressure. That was a surprise since up to now (I'm in my early 60s) it has always been 120/80. So now I'm being tested every week for awhile and making what changes I can. I don't need to lose weight and I exercise modestly everyday--always have. I DO know you all are not doctors (maybe some are?), but I thought I'd pick your collective brains about two things:
1) After feeling great and maintaining optimal weight on a fairly high protein, moderate fat, and low carb diet, I'm advised now to go on the DASH diet. After all the research I've done on the benefits of low carb, I'm rather surprised to see it is really high carb! Lots of grains, fruits, veg, dairy, beans, and very little meat/fish. To be honest I am skeptical of nutrition advice coming from the government (natch) and I wonder what people's experience has been with this diet. As always with confusing recent food science, some nutritionists advocate the opposite diet, keto, for lowering BP! I just wonder if, in the long run, the only diet change really necessary is to lower sodium intake--which I do need to do. (And yes, I will follow my doctor's orders and go on DASH for at least the short term while I'm monitored.)

2) Can anyone recommend a home BP monitor? Omron seems to be a good choice but they have about a 100 different models and the choice is confusing.
Thanks all.

Definitely focus on sodium intake. Coffee (caffeine) is also problematic.

Don't confuse government with medicine. There's proper science and investigation behind good nutrition. Following each new fad will drive you crazy.

 

[street]

^ yes, if I eat anything with salt late in the day before and then take my BP the next morning it is high, always. Salt is a killer for me.

 

[target2019]

Might be true I have no facts to add, but I can say I have both a wrist and an arm BP devise and will check against each other and they are within a number of each other every time I cross check them. I have no idea what is best or not, I'm just saying. Thanks for your information.

What I have found is that the design of a wrist or arm band model may not fit my arm or wrist, and give inconsistent readings.

Once you get a model, take it to Dr office and compare results. You could take a reading when you arrive, then Nurse reads with their equipment, then Dr reads with their equipment, then you read again in your car, or at home.

I went last week, and nurse got 130/80. Dr. got 120/70 about 20 minutes later.

 

[street]

What I have found is that the design of a wrist or arm band model may not fit my arm or wrist, and give inconsistent readings.

Once you get a model, take it to Dr office and compare results. You could take a reading when you arrive, then Nurse reads with their equipment, then Dr reads with their equipment, then you read again in your car, or at home.

I went last week, and nurse got 130/80. Dr. got 120/70 about 20 minutes later.

Great advise and thank you.

 

[LOL!]

I would not consider the DASH diet "really high carb." It might not be low, low carb, but one isn't stuffing their face with sugars either. From what I am reading, a portion is 1/2 cup of whole grains. That is, no white bread, no white rice, no regular pasta, no potatoes. And one doesn't have to eat many portions either.

Also, it has very little meat and fish, but it still has some.

To some extent this is the same kind of diet advocated by the plant-based folks with a dispensation to eat a little bit of protein from animals.

I only try to get about 30 grams of protein with each meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner. So I would not consider my diet high in protein. I like vegetables a lot, so I probably eat less fat and meat than many others. I do avoid the carbs I mentioned above, but do eat them in small amounts. For instance, restaurants will readily substitute grilled veggies for the side of french fries or rice. I drink unsweetened soy milk for breakfast.

My wife eats a lot of junk food and doesn't eat what I eat. She claims it is healthy, but I wouldn't eat that stuff.

We have 2 Omron heart rate monitors because my wife developed high blood pressure and didn't believe it. She didn't believe the monitor I've been using for years, so she got a new one. Both of the them read the same and also the same as what the doctor and dentist offices read. My recommendation is to just buy the least expensive one at Walmart that has a large display and perhaps a switch for A and B users.

Anyways, good luck figuring this out for you!

I posed a pic of my Omron back in February in this post:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/interval-exercise-96339-2.html#post2195006

 

[MRG]

I use an ormon 711. It's an older model and works fine.

Keep in mind that your PCP has less education in nutrition than most small children do. Most probably couldn't identify a carb from a fat.

 

[LOL!]

One more look at the DASH diet as written up at
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...ealthy-eating/in-depth/dash-diet/art-20048456

That link appears to give contradictory advice in that

Lean meat, poultry and fish: 6 servings or fewer a day

...
Nuts, seeds and legumes: 4 to 5 servings a week

That seems backwards to me, but it goes on to state

Soybean-based products, such as tofu and tempeh, can be a good alternative to meat because they contain all of the amino acids your body needs to make a complete protein, just like meat.

So I would eat 4 to 5 small servings a week of fish or meat, but 3 to 5 servings of nuts, seeds, and legumes a day. But please note that serving sizes are not large. For instance, 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of cooked black beans is about a quarter cup of them. One can get 4 servings from a can of beans. A serving of almonds is like 5 of them, not a quarter-cup of them.

And finally, one needs to be aware that diet may not be the cause of one's high blood pressure, so that changing diet may not change one's stats much at all.

 

[RonBoyd]

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-blood-pressure-monitors-for-home-use/

Since I am not privacy paranoid, I am very pleased with my Omro Series 10 monitor -- the fact that it pairs with my phone and can produce a print-out is important. That it pairs with my Kardia (https://store.alivecor.com/products/kardiamobile) is also a big plus.

As far as the diet change is concerned -- I would be very careful (cautious) about following "one size fits all" advice. There is some current thinking that a diet should only be determined by each individual's DNA -- An example (well, a place to start your research) is https://www.dnadietplan.com/us/?utm...-5TUrtJtQs2c_9WOp0kTXTjfF-QpGe1BoCDwEQAvD_BwE

 

[footenote]

I'm using an old onicon.
watch caffeine, alcohol. One cup of coffee will jump DW's BP for most of the day.

+1 Skipping coffee on morning of doc appointment day got rid of my "white-coat hypertension"

 

[Rianne]

I take my Omron to my Dr visits. Doesn't matter which Dr, they all take your BP. I compare my Omron to the Dr and sometimes take the BP 2 or 3 times. The nurse gets irritated (a little) but my Drs do not mind. My Omron keeps past readings at different times of the day. It varies so much. Also keeps historical BP records.

Actually, I sort of follow the Dash Diet and didn't even know it. It's just the way I eat. Low salt crackers, salad dressing (crazy how much salt is in salad dressing), pasta sauce...just read the labels. I have CKD and have trained myself to taste too much salt. I cannot take a single bite of thick sauced pizza. A TBSP of canned soup...forget it! Grosses me out. We make our own soup from scratch, mostly bean soup with vegetables. Freeze it.

I've never taken BP meds and do not have hypertension. The right spice combination and you won't miss salt, at all.

 

[RonBoyd]

I take my Omron to my Dr visits. Doesn't matter which Dr, they all take your BP. I compare my Omron to the Dr and sometimes take the BP 2 or 3 times.

On the Series 10 Omron, you can set it to TruRead mode and it will take three readings in a row and average the reading. (It pauses 1 minute between each reading so this is a ~five minute process.)



FWIW, I can also recommend the Omron HBF-515 "Full Body Sensor Body Composition Monitor and Scale" - https://omronhealthcare.com/products/body-composition-monitor-scale-seven-indicators-hbf516b/

The HBF-516B provides full body sensing – a comprehensive understanding of your body composition to help you reach your fitness goals. Full body sensing is more accurate than measuring with feet alone. Easy to use, this Body Composition Monitor and Scale measures 7 fitness indicators including body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, visceral fat, body age and body weight.

 

[Rianne]

^^^^Nice to know, will look into that version of Omron.

 

[RAE]

There is some good advice in this article by Chris Kresser on how to lower high blood pressure naturally. Might be worth trying some of the things he recommends.


https://chriskresser.com/how-and-why-to-lower-your-blood-pressure-naturally/