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Don Quixote · 09-01-2007, 12:19 PM

Hi, again, B.
According to the latest guidelines, you should be aiming to get your BP to 120/80 or better. The second number is, indeed, the most important one. Don't trust the machines that they use to give free readings at the supermarket or other places like that.

You can get a machine from a pharmacy for a fairly reasonable price. Take your BP in the morning, and do it more than once (wait 10 minutes or so between taking it). Some people, like me, have what they call "white coat hypertension", meaning that when I'm at the doctor's office, or when I take my first reading, it's always higher (probably from worrying about the numbers). By the third reading, it's down around where it should be.

High blood pressure can be caused by many factors, especially heredity (my grandmother had a stroke in her 50s; my mother has been treated for years for hypertension). Your weight loss and increased exercise are VERY praiseworthy, and should help. If they don't help enough, be sure to get checked out, and see if you need to be on meds. I've been taking meds for about 7 years, and they've really helped in combination with vigorous exercise (I've gone from 160/110 to about 117/76.).

I don't mean to be your mother, nagging you--just a few thoughts from a fellow Corfidder.

Best,
DQ

09-01-2007, 12:19 PM	#19
Don Quixote Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Springfield, MA 01109 Posts: 309	Re: El "B" loses some major LBS. (pounds) Hi, again, B. According to the latest guidelines, you should be aiming to get your BP to 120/80 or better. The second number is, indeed, the most important one. Don't trust the machines that they use to give free readings at the supermarket or other places like that. You can get a machine from a pharmacy for a fairly reasonable price. Take your BP in the morning, and do it more than once (wait 10 minutes or so between taking it). Some people, like me, have what they call "white coat hypertension", meaning that when I'm at the doctor's office, or when I take my first reading, it's always higher (probably from worrying about the numbers). By the third reading, it's down around where it should be. High blood pressure can be caused by many factors, especially heredity (my grandmother had a stroke in her 50s; my mother has been treated for years for hypertension). Your weight loss and increased exercise are VERY praiseworthy, and should help. If they don't help enough, be sure to get checked out, and see if you need to be on meds. I've been taking meds for about 7 years, and they've really helped in combination with vigorous exercise (I've gone from 160/110 to about 117/76.). I don't mean to be your mother, nagging you--just a few thoughts from a fellow Corfidder. Best, DQ