Blood pressure

Author
Discussion

MrGman

Original Poster:

1,614 posts

212 months

Monday 6th November 2023
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I know two people that have recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure, both of them claim the doctor that diagnosed them never questioned any lifestyle choices and that they were just put on meds to control this.

Other than the blood pressure both people are otherwise healthy with no medical conditions I’m aware of.

My question is, why have they both just been put on meds rather than being questioned on lifestyle and given advise on ways to try and bring it down naturally?

E63eeeeee...

4,491 posts

55 months

Monday 6th November 2023
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Given the amount of damage that high blood pressure can do, unless they were only slightly high, I'd imagine that the priority is to reduce the BP as fast as possible to a healthy level, so medication is much faster than lifestyle changes. But IANAD.

MrGman

Original Poster:

1,614 posts

212 months

Monday 6th November 2023
quotequote all
I should have mentioned neither of them were massively over.

I can understand your point though.

21TonyK

11,848 posts

215 months

Monday 6th November 2023
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I was put on BP meds over 2 years ago and haven't had any kind of check up since despite raising it with a nurse at the "well man" checkup last year. My BP the other evening was 94/64 which is pretty low compared to 155/110 a year ago so the meds have done the job but I have also given up booze completely, lost about 10Kg in weight and gone from a job where I spent most of my time on my backside to one where I regularly rack up 10Km walking a day.

I suspect the latter has had more impact than the tablets but I could be wrong.

grumbledoak

31,795 posts

239 months

Monday 6th November 2023
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The whole industry is about pushing pharmaceutical products.

You might, by random chance, get a doctor who has an interest in diet or exercise but on the whole it's pills, pills, pills.

anonymous-user

60 months

Monday 6th November 2023
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Because changing your lifestyle to have any meaningful affect on your blood pressure is incredibly hard and taking drugs is much easier.

Bonefish Blues

29,157 posts

229 months

Monday 6th November 2023
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Exactly that.

drmotorsport

804 posts

249 months

Tuesday 7th November 2023
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I was diagnosed with high BP and cholesterol in my early 40's and questioned by GP about lifestyle. While I went on meds initially I went nuts on eating much healthier and upping my exercise so by the time my meds checkup review came up after 6 months, they were happy to reduce and monitor. Now 5 years later while the cholesterol is still ok, the high BP has crept back up ( I blame the anxiety!) and back on some meds again for the BP. I will much rather improve myself naturally if at all possible rather than rely on meds.

TameRacingDriver

18,405 posts

278 months

Tuesday 7th November 2023
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Joey Deacon said:
Because changing your lifestyle to have any meaningful affect on your blood pressure is incredibly hard and taking drugs is much easier.
This and for some their lifestyle won't be the reason for having high blood pressure, or at least, so I was told, that in my case having high blood pressure was hereditary, and is most likely not curable for me without medication.

Mine was stratospheric though, but we do have form in my family. I'd be highly surprised, given what I started out with, if I could ever be normal without medication.

donkmeister

9,136 posts

106 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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Lifestyle factors are part of it, but I know people who say they lie to their GP about how much they drink, smoke, exercise instead of just being honest. So maybe some GPs just dispense with the opportunity to hear bullst now.

Likewise how many people hear "drink is pushing up your BP" and actually give up booze? I bet it's a tiny minority. I know heart attack and stroke survivors who get pissed on a regular basis.

Jader1973

4,265 posts

206 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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Realistically it is a choice of:
1) Have high blood pressure and try to reduce it through diet and exercise while knowing you are at elevated risk of heart attack and stroke
Or
2) Take the pills and get it down and do diet and exercise as well.

Personally I went with option 2 - I don’t fancy snuffing it while exercising.

dirky dirk

3,141 posts

176 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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im not surpised
my wife went to the docs with it, and they said heres your tablet you can come off them at some point,

but the solution is obviously a lifestyle change, doc never mentinoedit

Steve_H80

366 posts

28 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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It could be because the pills are cheap, easy and avoid a much bigger, more expensive mess later on with severe medical issues.
I guess that if they didn't question the pills with the doctor at diagnosis it's unlikely they are the kind of people that would consider a lifestyle change anyway.

MrGman

Original Poster:

1,614 posts

212 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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All interesting points, I’m not moaning about it as such, it just strikes me as a bit strange as I would always like to sort things out without medication.

I can understand now why they give meds immediately but I still think they should talk to patients about possible causes and ways to improve things.

Vasco

17,272 posts

111 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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Joey Deacon said:
Because changing your lifestyle to have any meaningful affect on your blood pressure is incredibly hard and taking drugs is much easier.
Yes, this.

Few people make sufficient, significant, change to their lifestyle. Medication is far more guaranteed.
Obviously, there's nothing to stop the more determined from *also* altering foods, drink, excercise etc.

Red9zero

7,766 posts

63 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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My high BP is inherited, probably from my mother, and not helped by hypothyroidism too. Not a lot I can do about either of those really.

Slow.Patrol

876 posts

20 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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Joey Deacon said:
Because changing your lifestyle to have any meaningful affect on your blood pressure is incredibly hard and taking drugs is much easier.
And the NHS are really good at treating symptoms and not the cause.

Back pain? Take pain killers.

Red9zero

7,766 posts

63 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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Slow.Patrol said:
And the NHS are really good at treating symptoms and not the cause.

Back pain? Take pain killers.
I wish. Last time I rang (I couldn't actually get out of bed) I was prescribed a phone appointment with a physio three days later.

Bonefish Blues

29,157 posts

229 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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Red9zero said:
Slow.Patrol said:
And the NHS are really good at treating symptoms and not the cause.

Back pain? Take pain killers.
I wish. Last time I rang (I couldn't actually get out of bed) I was prescribed a phone appointment with a physio three days later.
That seems to be the default. I pay £35 for a diagnosis at my physio and go from the there.

BoRED S2upid

20,292 posts

246 months

Thursday 9th November 2023
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Your friends can challenge it and try and get it down via lifestyle but it’s easier and quicker to pop a pill than cut out all the crap food and do a st load of exercise.

I’ve had those 24 hour monitors twice and it was fine but suffer from that white coat hypertension when faced with a doctor so monitor it at home also have cut out dairy, cheese, red meat and exercise 4 times a week minimum.