Blood Pressure

[harllee]

I am a 66 year old female, in very good health, eat well, exercise, not overweight, etc. I come from a long lived family, my mother is in her late 80s and doing great. At home my blood pressure runs around 140/80. In the doctor's office my BP runs a little higher. I currently take no prescription drugs for anything. I am retired and live a pretty low stress life except for the last 3 months I have been trying to resolve an identity stress issue (Social Security identity theft) and that has been stressful (hopefully the identity theft issue is in the process of being resolved soon).

My doctor recommends that I go on BP medicine. Evidently there is a new study that says if your BP is over 130 you have high BP. I have researched this online and see conflicting advice. There was a thread about this new study a few months ago on this Forum but it quickly went off topic and reading it did not give me much helpful info. I would rather not take BP medicine unless I really need it.

Any thoughts? Have any of you gone on BP medicine because of this new study?

 

[braumeister]

Not everyone would agree with your doctor. This reference is a year old, and the guidelines have been tightened since then, but:

The guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, recommends that people 60 and over who have no history of cardiovascular disease shouldn’t be treated for hypertension unless their blood pressure is persistently at or above 150/90.

AHA president concerned by new blood pressure treatment guideline

Also be aware that there are other ways of lowering your BP besides pills.

 

[harllee]

braumeister, what are some of the other ways to reduce BP? I already eat a good diet (primarily veggies and fruit). I am a good weight. I rarely eat junk food. I have never smoked. I exercise daily (walking, biking, yoga, dancing, light weights). I drink 1 or 2 glasses of wine per day.

What are some other things I can do?

 

[Nemo2]

braumeister, what are some of the other ways to reduce BP? I already eat a good diet (primarily veggies and fruit). I am a good weight. I rarely eat junk food. I have never smoked. I exercise daily (walking, biking, yoga, dancing, light weights). I drink 1 or 2 glasses of wine per day.

What are some other things I can do?

Sometimes, (it appears to me, 'cause I'm one of them), no matter what you do your BP is higher than 'expected'.......even when I was in my 30s, and running 70 miles a week, mine was considered 'borderline'.

 

[RunningBum]

I'd get past the identity theft situation and see how it looks then. Like Nemo, I run a lot and it's still gets up in that range. My doc thinks I should stay off them unless it starts getting worse.

 

[Another Reader]

You measure yours at home, so your situation may be different than mine. I had similar readings and got a similar recommendation a couple of years ago at 62. I declined to take the drugs, which have side effects and have been associated with dementia. The doctor then suggested wearing a blood pressure monitor for 24 hours. I did that and found my pressure to be much lower at home and out performing normal activities, well within the normal bounds. IOW, I had "White Coat Syndrome." The drug recommendation was withdrawn. You might want to do the same thing.

 

[braumeister]

braumeister, what are some of the other ways to reduce BP?

That varies by individual.

You say you're at a "good" weight, but maybe (like most of us) you'd like it to be a little lower? That's one.

A little more fiber in your diet wouldn't hurt anyone.

A good night's sleep is very helpful.

A little less sodium (salt) and a little more potassium can help.

Spending some time with animals regularly seems to help a lot of people.

I have no idea what would work for you or anyone else, but I do believe (as Nemo2 pointed out) that there is no "one size fits all" solution, and that what is high for one person may not be high for someone else. YMMV?

 

[RunningBum]

Maybe meditation? I don't do it but I could see how it would help. And maybe I should do it.

 

[MRG]

I went back on, after a year or more off. I also moved to altitude, my new PCP thinks it possibly altitude related.

My BP, off meds was very acceptable for over a year. Had my cataracts done, 23 doctor appointments and all was fine. That was at 900 feet.

After moving to altitude it changed and it was above the new guidelines; more importantly, I felt bad! I know you can't really detect your BP but.. . After going on metoprolol I feel so much better. I had pulsatile tinnitus before and it drove me batty, I also have a history of tachycardia. After taking this med I feel better. Unlike other beta blockers my heart rate is normal. I had to go off of atenolol because my heart rate dropped into the 30 bpm range. Now it's normally in the 70s at rest, and goes up very nicely while I'm on the treadmill.

There are two negatives with this medication:

1). You have to take it.

2). It did slow my metabolism slightly. I've tracked my calories for almost 1000 days and after going on metoprolol I can eat 200(10%) calories less if I want my weight to stay the same.
ETA: There are other types of BP meds that don't slow your metabolism.

 

[RAE]

It sounds like your diet is pretty good, but one thing you want to make sure of is that you are getting enough magnesium. Magnesium (and potassium) are important for controlling blood pressure, and a lot of folks are deficient in one or both. Here are some foods high in magnesium: (the top 5 are dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, and avocado).

https://draxe.com/magnesium-deficient-top-10-magnesium-rich-foods-must-eating/

 

[msieweke]

Here are some things that have been shown to lower blood pressure in small studies:
meditation, coenzyme Q10, magnesium, B6, C, D, E, low-carb diet, intermittent fasting, high-intensity training, strength training, beet juice, garlic, raw nuts, vegetables, colorful vegetables, berries, resveratrol, acetyl-l-carnitine (alcar), eliminating wheat and/or cornstarch, eliminating processed oils (corn, canola, cottonseed, soy, safflower, sunflower)

Some people can lower blood pressure a small amount by restricting sodium, but about 30% of the population will have blood pressure rise. It appears that eating more potassium-containing foods can lower blood pressure, and some sources say the potassium/sodium balance is the important thing - rather than sodium alone. Beet juice (listed above) is a good source of potassium, but most vegetables are good sources of potassium.

I do most of the things listed above, just for general health. I can't say much about their effect on blood pressure because hypothyroidism is the major factor for me. I was at 110/70 or lower before taking thyroid hormone. Now it's around 120/80. I'm male, 54 years.

 

[msieweke]

I forgot sunbathing. It appears to lower blood pressure primarily by generating nitric oxide, but it also helps by generating vitamin D.

 

[Nemo2]

I ran a marathon, (my one and only...lousy time, but that's another story), in early 1984, before my knees gave out. Lots of miles during training, BP still 'higher than expected'.

After my late wife died, (still had the 5th wheel), I was cycling around 50 miles a day, every day......winter of 2003/4 went down to Texas...there was a retired nurse at the RV park and she'd run BP 'clinics' every Saturday......said something to the effect that "Your BP is elevated, but boy is your heartbeat strong".

(Still take magnesium supplements, eat bananas for potassium etc, rarely drink...yadda yadda......oh, have never in my life added salt to food.)

 

[harllee]

Thanks everyone, I will definitely give some of these ideas a try. I would probably benefit most from meditation--the identity theft thing and dealing with Social Security and Medicare has been really frustrating and anxiety producing. I had read about beet juice, I love beets, will give that a try. I will be getting more sun now that golf season is here so maybe that will help (although golf can produce anxiety too!!).

My husband takes a magnesium supplement to help him sleep, maybe I could try that. I normally sleep like a log and get at least 8 hours of sleep.

Could high BP be genetic? My mother takes BP pills but at her age (late 80s) I think her blood pressure is too low some times--she says she sometimes gets light headed.

 

[Car-Guy]

I've been on BP meds for over 10 years now. Actaully more for an irregular heartbeat but it helps with my BP too. One thing I discovered is (and YMMV) the generics do not work in my case. Recently, my prescription drug plan refused to fill the brand name meds any longer unless I tried one of the generics (they were ~80% cheaper). I had tried them years ago but was "basically forced" to try them again. They actually called my doctor, without my permission, and convinced him to write a new prescription for a generic. I'm back on the real thing now and will be looking for a new doctor.

Another note, I also discovered, the hard way, that all brand name drugs are not created equal either. Sometimes the original manufacturer will license their brand name to be manufacture by another company and sold under their brand name. They may not work as well either. I would have thought the ingredients and manufacturing processes would be the same if they were licensed by the original manufacturer but that may not always be the case.

 

[jjflyman]

Get on blood pressure medication and get on with your life.

 

[harllee]

Get on blood pressure medication and get on with your life.

Have you read the list of side effects these BP medicines have? I don't want to take a medication with a lot of side effects unless I really need it.

 

[RunningBum]

Could high BP be genetic? My mother takes BP pills but at her age (late 80s) I think her blood pressure is too low some times--she says she sometimes gets light headed.

Definitely, AFAIK. I think I'm the only one in my family not on BP meds, probably because I'm the only runner.

 

[bingybear]

Have you read the list of side effects these BP medicines have? I don't want to take a medication with a lot of side effects unless I really need it.

I know what my med's side effects are, but don't know what your meds are to even hazard a guess. I don't really notice most the the documented side effects.

What side effects are you concerned with? or what meds are they considering?

 

[street]

Mine runs about what your is and a little less most of the time. I go to the Doc and it is high they wanted to put me on pills also and I told them I didn't care to start them. I get a lot of exercise through out the day and I really don't worry about mine.

Like you said there is conflicting theory on a normal BP and as you age I have read your BP is suppose to be higher.

Do you have any issues do you feel from where your BP is running?

 

[aja8888]

Definitely, AFAIK. I think I'm the only one in my family not on BP meds, probably because I'm the only runner.

That (you) was me when I was running (a lot) years ago. But now at 74 with a new hip and 40 pounds heavier, I am on a BP med. Losing weight at this age is tough as everything slows down. Still quite healthy and active, but not like the old days. My BP just krept up over the years.

 

[harley]

My question is always "what is the end goal?" Is it to enjoy your life? Or is it to meet some often arbitrary and changing numbers that doctors are given as a guideline by an organization repeatedly shown to be financially influenced? Knowing what we know about side effects and other complications, I doubt (in your situation) that I would take these meds unless there were other indications of a problem. Get your identity theft issue resolved, keep measuring BP at home, and continue your happy and healthy lifestyle. You're already 66, it's not like taking the meds will extend your life by 20 years or anything. Quality of life (IMO) counts more than quantity of life.

One suggestion would be to take your BP machine to the doctor's office next time. Use it right before or after the nurse takes your BP, just to see how the numbers compare. You want to be comparing apples to apples. Also, if you have a family history of CVD that might influence your decision too.

 

[Jerry1]

At home my blood pressure runs around 140/80. In the doctor's office my BP runs a little higher.

I've been in that range for some time. It's right on the border. Some Dr's would tell me to get on meds, others would not. Given that situation, I chose to get off the meds (was on them for several years). I don't know if I feel any different but my general rule is that if I can stay off a prescription, I should. They all seem to come with a price.

The Dr. that took me off the meds is a holistic MD. I think others are right with the magnesium and potassium. The Dr. does have me taking those in my supplement routine. This all happened before those new guidelines came out. They seem to support my decision.

Though, now I'm a bit different from you because I've started exercising in the past couple months (just started ER) and my BP is coming down. So just keep working out and eating right and trying a few other things. But I wouldn't worry about 140/90 at 66yrs of age.

 

[Bir48die]

There is no "one size fits all" answer to this question. Some of the things mentioned may give you some benefit. However, everyone's situation is different. Sure, trying to take care of things naturally is preferred but that's not always possible. If you have a good relationship with your physician and you've asked the proper questions then it's up to you to manage your own health. I am in hydrochlorothiazide and will continue to monitor my BP and control what external factors that I can

 

[MRG]

Have you read the list of side effects these BP medicines have? I don't want to take a medication with a lot of side effects unless I really need it.

Have you read the effects of hypertension? One of the two WILL kill me! The other might make me dizzy.