Blood pressure

[grumbledoak]

2354519y said:

The machines are inaccurate at times. They shouldn't really be prescribing based on a few readings. NICE guidelines do suggest that patients should be offered a 24 hour Ambulatory blood pressure monitor.

24 hours strapped to one of those things is the pits. You get no peace. No you can't sleep. I wanted to strangle everyone involved by the time they finally removed it.

Needless to say, the reading was high.

[the-norseman]

grumbledoak said:

24 hours strapped to one of those things is the pits. You get no peace. No you can't sleep. I wanted to strangle everyone involved by the time they finally removed it.

Needless to say, the reading was high.

Same as my experience.

[TameRacingDriver]

grumbledoak said:

2354519y said:

The machines are inaccurate at times. They shouldn't really be prescribing based on a few readings. NICE guidelines do suggest that patients should be offered a 24 hour Ambulatory blood pressure monitor.

24 hours strapped to one of those things is the pits. You get no peace. No you can't sleep. I wanted to strangle everyone involved by the time they finally removed it.

Needless to say, the reading was high.

I didn't have to do this, presumably as mine was already sky high, but the Mrs did once. I remarked that I really don't know how her blood pressure couldn't be high by default when you get no sleep and have that thing going off all the time.

[2354519y]

I have found that since I started running one 5K every week my BP has plummeted. It's used to read around 130/80 mmHg.

In the past 10 months since I built up my distances from 1 mile to 3 miles running my BP has declined.

It reads 90/60 mmHg consistently.

Even when I've taken it as soon as I've completed a run the maximum it'll show is 104/80.

In my experience, cardio definitely reduces it.

[c.milton]

Resident Blood Pressure Expert here!

For those of us who don't like the usual blood pressure monitors, try something like the omron evolv range - it is quite unobtrusive and reasonably accurate.

Mine was calibrated (?) by the GP with his proper sphygmomanometer and was only +/- 2 or 3 mmHg on me.

Also, for those of us who hate/can't tolerate the meds, google renal denervation, particularly at University Hospital of Bristol in the UK.

https://www.uhbristol.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors...

I was a volunteer for part of the trials through British Heart Foundation and the team there are lovely - and led by Dr Hart!

You could also look up carotid body recession and brain stem stimulation in hypertension, although these procedures are still a way off, by the look of it.

Anyway, hope this helps and gives some hope for the future

[2354519y]

When they've studied hunter gatherer tribes they've found that they too have the same genes for high blood pressure.

Yet, it is non existent amongst them. Even amongst their elderly.

Their active lifestyles and food mitigate against it.

[Digger]

Evening all - I am under instruction from my Dr to purchase & monitor my BP over the next couple weeks. Would the model below suffice & are they reasonably accurate?

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4019585

Omron M3

[TameRacingDriver]

Omron are excellent machines, you'll have no trouble with it and they're approved by the NHS.

[Bonefish Blues]

https://bihsoc.org/bp-monitors/for-home-use/

[Digger]

TameRacingDriver said:

Omron are excellent machines, you'll have no trouble with it and they're approved by the NHS.

Thanks - will order asap

[98elise]

TameRacingDriver said:

Omron are excellent machines, you'll have no trouble with it and they're approved by the NHS.

Agreed. Had mine for 10 years or so and have had no issues.

[the-photographer]

Digger said:

Evening all - I am under instruction from my Dr to purchase & monitor my BP over the next couple weeks. Would the model below suffice & are they reasonably accurate?

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4019585

Omron M3

Good choice, I don't know what advice your GP has given you, but mine one has said

• Try and remember when you wake-up
• Wait one hour after food
• Take after sitting down for 3-4 minutes
• Try and be consistence three times a day

[RC1807]

Recently, but increasingly, I’ve been suffering dizzy spells when standing from a seated position on my couch.
This is only in the evenings.

I have lower blood pressure in the evenings (112/57 seems regular) which I’m monitoring. In the morning it’s slightly higher.

I’ve changed my diet this year and have lost around 15kg, now at 100, and I exercise daily, Zwift cycling or running.

I do need to see my GP in the next week or so for ongoing health monitoring (full check over and blood tests every 6 months) so I’ll share my BP readings with him then and see what he says.

[TameRacingDriver]

I get that sometimes, will be interesting to hear what your doctor says about it. I've never actually thought to measure my BP at that moment.

[uknick]

RC1807 said:

Recently, but increasingly, I’ve been suffering dizzy spells when standing from a seated position on my couch.
This is only in the evenings.

I have lower blood pressure in the evenings (112/57 seems regular) which I’m monitoring. In the morning it’s slightly higher.

I’ve changed my diet this year and have lost around 15kg, now at 100, and I exercise daily, Zwift cycling or running.

I do need to see my GP in the next week or so for ongoing health monitoring (full check over and blood tests every 6 months) so I’ll share my BP readings with him then and see what he says.

It could be;

"Orthostatic hypotension, a form of low blood pressure. It happens when the blood vessels do not constrict (tighten) as you stand up. It is usually a symptom of an underlying disorder rather than a disease in itself. The condition is also known as postural hypotension."

I have high blood pressure medicated with Amlodipine. I get that dizziness and went through a set of blood pressure tests, ECG and ultrasound of heart.

Nothing untoward was found and it was put down to possibly increasing years as I'd just gone 61 when I went to see the GP.

[TameRacingDriver]

uknick said:

It could be;

"Orthostatic hypotension, a form of low blood pressure. It happens when the blood vessels do not constrict (tighten) as you stand up. It is usually a symptom of an underlying disorder rather than a disease in itself. The condition is also known as postural hypotension."

I have high blood pressure medicated with Amlodipine. I get that dizziness and went through a set of blood pressure tests, ECG and ultrasound of heart.

Nothing untoward was found and it was put down to possibly increasing years as I'd just gone 61 when I went to see the GP.

Interesting as I'm taking Amlopodine and I'm only 44. It has never unduly worried me to be honest, I just put it down to standing up too quick

[RC1807]

uknick said:

It could be;

"Orthostatic hypotension, a form of low blood pressure. It happens when the blood vessels do not constrict (tighten) as you stand up. It is usually a symptom of an underlying disorder rather than a disease in itself. The condition is also known as postural hypotension."

I have high blood pressure medicated with Amlodipine. I get that dizziness and went through a set of blood pressure tests, ECG and ultrasound of heart.

Nothing untoward was found and it was put down to possibly increasing years as I'd just gone 61 when I went to see the GP.

Thank you.
You know how it can be…. Digging too deep on tinternet and you have the worst diagnosis possible.
I’ll see what my quack says when I see him, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond, too.

[Badda]

RC1807 said:

Recently, but increasingly, I’ve been suffering dizzy spells when standing from a seated position on my couch.
This is only in the evenings.

I have lower blood pressure in the evenings (112/57 seems regular) which I’m monitoring. In the morning it’s slightly higher.

I’ve changed my diet this year and have lost around 15kg, now at 100, and I exercise daily, Zwift cycling or running.

I do need to see my GP in the next week or so for ongoing health monitoring (full check over and blood tests every 6 months) so I’ll share my BP readings with him then and see what he says.

Attach your monitor, take a bp sitting and then immediately on standing and then 1 minute later and see what results you have. A systolic drop of >20mmHg or a diastolic drop of >10mmHg would normally suggest orthostatic hypotension.

[Russ35]

I've just had the 24hr device fitted. I think my sleep is going to be a bit stop start tonight.

The first reading she triggered was 151/94. I was about 153/104 at the doctors last week.

I do have my own machine that I did a couple of readings over the weekend and got 133/100 and 131/98. Looking at my readings they are both a bit higher than what my spreadsheet of readings, upto about Feb '22 when I stopped the readings. These were normally between 124-130/80-90 depending on time of day.

I do have a record on my spreadsheet of a reading I had at the doctors in April '21, that was 153/103. my machine reading that day was 133/90.

[RC1807]

Badda said:

Attach your monitor, take a bp sitting and then immediately on standing and then 1 minute later and see what results you have. A systolic drop of >20mmHg or a diastolic drop of >10mmHg would normally suggest orthostatic hypotension.

I've been monitoring my BP for the last 10 days or so.
I went to the Dr today with ,y list of readings and he was concerned at some of them, but they're inconsistent.
Of course I tested with a normal level at this surgery.

He asked me to keep a record and plot it on a graph, which he supplied to me, and I'll see him in a few weeks time before he's off for Christmas and the New Year.