What's your blood pressure??

“TXW,
I run as much as 5 miles on an empty stomach, and have no problems, but I eat as soon as I get back in the house. Stuff I read says that you should eat within a half hour of running to replinish your muscles food stores so you will have the endurance for the next day.

I always eat before the gym workout though.”

“you are suppose to eat protien to build the muscle back that you just destroyed. carbs for the next day.

BP - Always low - I take it once a month. Resting heart rate - last time was 54.”

“Good stuff on workouts..you've inspired me to post another topic similar to this..stay tuned..”

“Hey guys, I'm baaaack! Had a blast with BC... and found out I'm not in as good a shape as I like to think! ;->

FYI, the 'normal' BP ranges for an adult are 100-120/60-80. Physical fitness definately plays a large factor in a person's BP, as do size, heredity(genetics), and diet. A person who smokes/drinks a lot of caffeinated(or alcoholic) beverages will usually have a higher BP.

Wanna' test this? Most drugstores have those machines that you can stick your arm in & it'll test your blood pressure for you. Go first thing in the a.m.(when your BP is the lowest) and check. Then go have a cup of java, wait a half hour or so & check it again. It's kinda scary...

There ya' go, yet another blurb from the far side.... :o)”

“Wow! So I had mine checked at 11am, right after my three to five morning cups of coffee....maybe it is low.”

“Ms.medicgirl...a loooong time ago, while visiting a friend in PA getting Tuxs' fit for a wedding, one of the doods tried one of those sit-down-and-get-your-blood-pressure-read machines. His pressure was so poor that the machine told him to "Seek medical attention immediately!" No chit.”

“Hey Medic Girl- Glad to see that you made it home safely. Thanks for taking the time to stop by. I enjoyed the hike.”

“Hey BC... yeah I made it home... what a trip though! First I lost my bike on the Coquihalla, then I got a flat tire outside of Kamloops, and finally(Aargh!) ran out of gas about 30kms outside of Valemont! The drive that took 10 hours out to the coast took 15 to get home. I was seriously considering just calling work & telling them that I wasn't coming back... on the plus(?) side though, while I was waiting for the towtruck a black bear decided to cross the highway 100m in front of my car. I pulled into my driveway at 0330 Monday morning... and promptly got into the truck & drove to work. Why, oh why do I do this to myself?”

“Could someone explain what Blood Pressure numbers mean?

I've gotten pretty run down by the stress I've been under the past few weeks. I was throwing up, feeling dizzy, and my ears hurt so I went to the Doc.

He found both my ears impacted with wax buildup. The nurse quickly blew it out with giant blasts of warm water.

The problem is the Doc found my blood pressure was high. My blood pressure has always been fine up to now but today it was 130/100 in one arm and 125/100 in the other.
He's going to take pressures again in two weeks and he said I would need to go on blood pressure medicine if it's still high.

Just what does all this mean?

..and no, I'm not planning on being dead anytime soon. ;-)
last edited: 9/20/05 7:39:44 PM”

“It doesn't seem all that high. I think normal range is 120/80.
last edited: 9/20/05 7:44:11 PM”

“It's the 100 that the doc is probably worried about. I went through this a year ago and that's when I started dieting and doing daily treadmill. That and my cholesterol was up. Did the doc order you any blood work?”

“Yep, full blood work in 2 weeks.”

“Blood pressure is the force your blood exerts on your arteries as your heart beats. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (a unit of pressure). There are two numbers that are measured. The first is your systolic pressure and the second is your diastolic pressure.

Systolic pressure is the pressure exerted when your heart contracts. This is supposed to be around 120 for most people.

Diastolic pressure is the pressure when your heart is between contractions as the heart refills with blood. For most people their diastolic pressure is around 80.

So the systolic pressure is always more than the diastolic pressure since your heart contracting (pumping blood) exerts more pressure than when your heart is at rest refilling for the next beat.

The numbers are quoted like “120/80” or “120 over 80”.

120/80 is now considered pre-hypertension where it used to be “normal”. Today the American Heart Association says “Normal” is below 120/80. This is not based on new medical science, as I see it. It’s just their attempt to get people to pay more attention to their blood pressure.

130/100 is high, especially the second number (the diastolic). I have no doubt your doctor will want to keep an eye on it.”

“130 indicates that your heart is pumping harder because it has to to maintain blood flow, but why ??

The 100 indicates that you have some constrictions in your blood vessels, or the cholesterol is clogging some of your arteries. Diet and exercise time.”

“It could be genetic, too. I have been dealing with it for 7 years now. Mine's under control, but I am on two medicationas daily. In 1998, I went to the hospital with a 200/110 reading. It can fluctuate, also.

Thr stress you've been under could play a role, too, Stove. Glad you're ok...”

“If you have the means to check your BP at home, do so. It's not uncommon for it to be elevated in the doctor's office just from being a bit anxious. I believe it's called 'white coat syndrome'.”

“Same here Treebeard two medications daily...for several years now.
Doc told me mine was genetic....even though I could stand to lose more than a few pounds.

Just checked my BP it's 120 over 72”

“That's about where mine has been, WW! That's not bad at all...”

“I take BP medicine. I've had all the tests. I'm physically fit, lift weights/exercise 3 days per week, 41 yrs old, and passed all the blood and EKG tests with flying colors. I get tested once a year. I only take 10mg per day and my BP is usually around 110/60 with heart rate of 60-70.

Before I started taking medicine my BP was 165/95 on a regular basis for about a year. Scarey stuff...doctor says it's probably genetic because they can't find anything wrong with me other than the high BP. I feel much better now that I'm medicated. Last May I took an 8 day backpacking trip (120 miles)on the AT and did just fine on the med's.

I'm sure Stovie is just stressed out...wouldn't you be ??

HANG IN THERE STOVIE !”

“SS, did they check your blood pressure before or after the nurse blew out the wax?

Ditto what Pitts said. Also, I'm wondering how long between this reading and the prior normals.”

“Like I said... just say F-it and you can live in Timber's doghouse :)

”

“Stovie, I normally have below-average blood pressure levels. I went to the Dr in June and my BP had sky-rocketed. I had done nothing different in my life...eat healthy, exercise regularly....but was under an extreme amount of stress. She said that stress can cause your BP to rise tremendously as well as deplete your immune system. I am sure that this is related to your recent life adventures.”

“Good point Embear...I started taking a multivitamin with my BP medicine to boost my immune system. It also made me start feeling better.”

“Don't you dare be dead! :)

My blood pressure is always normal - in the 115/70 to 125/80 range. Last year around December I had a regular Doctor visit and my BP was 160/100. I had some work issues, and was frettin' about the holidays with the long hours we were working. Majorly stressed.

It went back down to normal after we started working normal hours and the holidays were over.

Hang in there!”

“130 over 100??!!! OMG!! CRACK HIS CHEST - STAT!!

j/k

That's not terrible, but does warrant some attention. Seems like most folks can bring something like that down to the "normal" range with some exercise, diet changes, etc.

BowlderGal has really low BP. When she was pregnant w/BowlderSon, it was even lower (opposite of some women, whose BP sometimes goes up). She'd go in for a checkup, her BP would register, like, 95 over 50, and the nurses and doctors would look at her funny, check it again, etc.

My BP is usually around 120 over 75 or so.”

“Normally mine is about 110 over 60. I can feel it going up. Seriously.

It's stress. Stress most definately affects your BP. For myself it's two tests that I'm not prepared for and especially the prospect of Birch going to Houston this Friday. Outside I'm collected and clam, inside I'm freaking out, my heart following suit. I keep thinking about what he should pack, just in case.
I can't think about studying or much else.”

“Stress is a factor. There are many factors. What's important is now you understand what the numbers mean and can make an informed decision. Many people ignore it for years and years. There is a reason why hypertension is known as the "silent killer". Listen to your doctor. The things she/he will tell you to do are just plain good for you anyway. Who among us couldn’t benefit from more regular exercise, better diet, and eating less sodium and more potassium (from vegetables)?

I'll offer one comment that is a personal statement. I hate taking pills. I'll do just about anything to avoid taking them. That applies to BP medication (which I do not take) and statin drugs (Lipitor in my case, which I do take). There is a fairly good reason to do everything short of taking pills to help control your BP. The medications for controlling BP don't work forever. Your body eventually starts to become resistant (is that the right word?) to them. It's not unusual for a doctor to switch BP medications on patients several times during their lifetime. My philosophy (personal on this matter) is the longer I can go without using pills the more use I will get out of the medications later in my life.

Also, if you do go on BP medication keep in mind there are two main kinds that I know of. One is “beta blockers” that block the nerve impulses to the blood vessels that prevent them from constricting as much hence reducing blood pressure… wonder drugs if you ask me. The other is more “old school”… diuretics. They make you pee more often and hence decrease the volume of your blood which in turn reduces blood pressure. I am not a fan of diuretics because I see this as a fast-path to dehydration which I am sensitive to as an active person and a hiker. Both work well, however, and diuretics are very cheap compared to beta blockers.”

“My blood pressure is VERY low. Always has been. Maybe that's why I don't road rage.”

“122/73 today”

“Arent beta blockers those ugly sunglasses "only seen on TV?"

lol”

“beta blockers == secondary linemen???”

“Those are BluBlockers! :)”

“I take Toprol XL (50 mg) as one of my meds. It's a beta blocker. With the episodes I went through, Pitts, I'm more scared not taking the meds than I am taking them. It is pretty much genetic in my family, so I guess I'm stuck with it. They've been working for 7 years now...”

“My mother takes a similar medication and it's been a real life saver for her as well. She use to be on a diuretic but she was not responding well to it so I asked her to talk about changing meds with her doctor. Like I said, real "wonder drugs".”

“So can someone educate us on heart rate now? The last time I was checked for that by a medical person was right before my wisdom teeth were pulled. It was 53. What does that mean? What's good?”

“Heart rate is very dependant on the person, their age, level of fitness, etc. There are a few key numbers. The first is your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) and as a rule of thumb it will be about (220 - your age) beats per minute. This is the fastest your heart will beat. The lowest it will beat is called your Resting Heart Rate. It's not uncommon for fairly fit people to have resting heart rates in the 40-50 range. When you are sick your resting heart rate will increase. As you get more fit your rate will drop somewhat.

That said, maximum heart rate is really something that needs to be measured to be known accurately which can be tough because of the complex mechanisms the heart uses to change the way it pumps blood under exertion.

Resting Heart Rate is a little easier to deal with and when your BP is recorded this is the number they write down. It's actually going to be a little higher because you aren't really at rest (you are sitting up, just walked about, etc). To measure your resting heart rate you need to lay down and "space out" for a little while, then measure it. I have a heart rate monitor that I would do this with every morning when I was running daily. If my resting heart rate in the morning started to go up then I knew I was getting sick or was overtraining. It's a great metric in this regard.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about the heart rate number unless the doctor is overly concerned. When I go to the hospital the nurses always freak because my resting heart rate is very low and they keep asking, "Are you very physically active?" When you are sick or under anesthetic your heart rate will go up or down respectively. So it's a good indicator your doctor can use if they know what your heart rate has been in the past.

One more comment. Resting heart rate and MHR are no indication of physical capacity. That may seem like a bizarre claim, but it's more tied to the type of heart you have as a matter of genetics. There are Olympic athletes that have resting heart rates that are very high. I had a friend that was obese that had a resting heart rate in the low 40's. Go figure. It's more tied to the neurology of how the heart is "wired", how the chambers are shaped, etc.

It's really fascinating stuff.
last edited: 9/22/05 12:26:47 AM”

“My sister's heart rate is so high, she was excused from gym in high school. Mine has always been high too.”

“I also use Toprol XL 50, treebeard, which reduces adrenaline response in the heart. Works great!”

“It's ben pretty consistent for for, MP. The only adjustments along the way were in the dosage...”

“Same here. Started at 50, and felt GREAT! (you know how you feel more like "yourself"?), so went down to 25. Then started wiggin' out again, so back to 50.”

“I was getting these "spells", if you will. i would feel like I was passing out. Yet, my body felt racy, too. It was the lousiest feeling. Then, I had to go to the hospital when I felt shortness of breath, numbness in my left arm and chest pains. That happenned twice in 1998.

Usually, I am pretty active and have no trouble hopping around New York City at a fast pace. This one time, I was in the Atlantic Ave subway station in Brooklyn. The feeling I described came over me. I couldn't walk the steps up to the main level. I stayed down there for 45 minutes before I was able to do it. Scariest sh_t in my life!”

“and you sure dont want to be in a subway when that feeling hits you.”

“You ain't kidding. Good thing it wasn't one of those hot days where it is, like, 115 degrees down there...”

“I went to a pharmacy yesterday night...and they have one of those blood pressure machines, where you sit beside it and stick your arm into it.....

I measured my blood pressure three times, one after each other....they all came back abit different...I took the average of the three: 115/70 and 53 beats/minute...it that good, bad or average?”

“Good.”

“Mine is normally, 110/60 and the nurses all squeal about how good it is but my cholesterol is up to 217 so now that the doc has me on asthma medication, maybe I can start some aerobic workouts to burn some fat. :o)

Hang in there, Stovie! I'm praying for ya!”

“I'm the opposite, my BP is borderline and my cholesterol is amazing. My doc said not to worry about it unless I change to an all-lard diet.”

“mmmm, lard.

i'm healthy as a horse!”

“Yours is good, Stanlee. I got mine checked this morning. 120/80. Pretty much par for me these days.”

“I recently had a blood test due to a high glucose count. Looking at the results, the doctor confirmed my blood actually consists of 28% melted ice-cream. He recommended I cut back a little. I'm down to 1 1/2 gallons a day, but I don't know if I can sustain it.”