why discard the first reading? - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

march95 · 05-22-2009, 07:16 AM

I would think that is your true reading because most people are active, as in working, housework, always moving. The first BP reading would then show you what your BP is from all that motion. If I sit down and take 3 readings then each one gets lower, which looks good on the monitor but if I want to keep it at the last reading then I would have to stay seated the rest of my life without moving so I can keep that last good reading. It just doesn't make sense to me. I wish the doctors would take 3 readings then they would see my first reading in their office is from white coat syndrome and that it would lower if they took it 2 more times.

sally47 · 05-22-2009, 09:08 AM

the most important hbp reading is when at complete rest ...our blood pressure goes up and down all day like our heart rate its meant to .. (if it did not do this then it would not be normal - so my doctor once told me ) ..so our actual true bp reading is when we are rested our bp is meant to drop at each reading ...

unfortunately our doctors dont have time to take readings as we would at home ..thats why its always good idea to monitor our own bp at home gives doctors an idea of our true readings ..have you told your doctor you have "white coat hypertention " .

Machaon · 05-22-2009, 10:03 AM

I've taken my blood pressure 27,429 times since 1998, and have never discarded the first reading, or taken my blood pressure more than once, at a time, unless I felt that the machine malfunctioned, which is rare.

That amounts to about seven times per day, for over 10 years. By carefully monitoring my blood pressure at home, and tracking causes and effects, I've been able to lower my blood pressure from an average of 152/97 in 1998 to currently an average of 122/73. My blood pressure average for all of 2008 was 122/72.

That's a heap of blood pressure readings and a heap of success at getting blood pressure to a permanently healthy reading. So, IMHO, it is perfectly valid to record the first, and only reading, especially in my case.

famnd · 05-22-2009, 10:27 AM

I believe most if not all the guidelines for treating elevated b/p are based on what one's b/p is at rest. It is assumed that one's b/p will rise according to one's activity or emotional level.

One is supposed to be seated for 5 minutes before taking one's b/p. That drove me crazy so I figured out how much difference on the average my b/p was between just sitting down & taking it right away & after sitting for 5 min. Of course, this had to be when my cuff anxiety wasn't acting up. Fam

march95 · 05-22-2009, 10:28 AM

Thanks, I tell my doctor everytime I go see her that it is only that high when I am there. It does make more sense taking it at least 3 times, by then you have sat still for a while to see what it is at a full resting. I still like seeing the first number so that I can judge if I am being too exerted when it is a little high, then I would know to slow down.