I regularly measure my blood pressure and it's consistently around 135/80 range. I'm only 32, not overweight (height 6 feet, weight around 180lbs), physically active and on a healthy diet, don't smoke and don't drink much alchohol. I've recently been to my GP for a regular check up, blood work, etc. All results are fine. They record my blood pressure every time I go there and it's always higher than normal, but they never say anything about that - should I be concerned? I've read that blood pressure gradually increases with age, but 135/80 is like an average for 60 year old. Any advice, suggestions? Thank you.
I regularly measure my blood pressure and it's consistently around 135/80 range. I'm only 32, not overweight (height 6 feet, weight around 180lbs), physically active and on a healthy diet, don't smoke and don't drink much alchohol. I've recently been to my GP for a regular check up, blood work, etc. All results are fine. They record my blood pressure every time I go there and it's always higher than normal, but they never say anything about that - should I be concerned? I've read that blood pressure gradually increases with age, but 135/80 is like an average for 60 year old. Any advice, suggestions? Thank you.
Your concern should be to drive back towards 120/80 if that is within your grasp via the normal methods of diet, exercise, and lifestyle/stressors. Everyone's image of a "healthy" diet is different. Unless you've read a number of health books on what constitutes a "very healthy" diet today, I'd dig into that for starters. I was pre-hypertensive at age 22, 5-11, and 165 lbs! (130/85) and the Navy wouldn't take me until I lowered it to 120/80. I loved junk food too. So a month of running 5 miles 3X a week and dropping to 155 lbs did it for me. But it's been a battle ever since with pretty much staying in the 130's for most of my 30's. It eventually worked up into the 140's as I aged and put on more weight. I peaked out at 250 lbs 10 yrs ago at age 48. Things sort of turned much worse right around age 45 as I packed on 10 lbs per year. Today I'm 165 lbs. So best to see what you can do now rather than letting more years pile on. There's always a chance it's as good as it can be right now at 135/80. But, I doubt it. Most people can improve, it's just a matter of knowledge and application. Your current level is nothing to be alarmed about.
I've been eating "healthy" for 3 yrs and I'm still learning on how to do it better. Getting an optimum balance of the key minerals (Ca-Mg-Na-K) and vitamins (esp. D3, K) is important for optimum BP control. Others might tell you that you're obsessed with the BP meter and that's giving you 10 pts right there. I don't buy that either. I take my own readings many times during the week and it's not an anxiety event for me. I often take it while at the computer (like right now). It's almost a reflexive motion that I just do at times.
Plenty of good info and on the net to help you along.
Thanks so much 68GTX for taking the time to write all that info. I'll definitely be doing more research on this. I should mention that I did drop around 10 pounds since the beginning of May by exercising and cutting back on alchohol. I was hoping to see some improvement by now, but it doesn't get better. I doubt that anxiety is an issue for me either.
There a lot of BP healthy little things that add up when combined together such as having adequate Vit D levels. That should be checked during your annual physical. Most Americans are deficient if optimizing their health is the goal. Your sodium levels might have more room to come down. A "healthy" diet with too many packaged foods usually means extra sodium. There are heart-BP healthy foods that are now part of my diet most every day: garlic and onions, celery, flax seeds/meal, fish oil, almonds/walnuts, avocado's, carrots, red cabbage, spinach, sweet peppers, oats, more salmon and minimal red meat, better cuts of chicken and turkey, soy, blueberries, bananas, figs, apples, oranges, apple cider vinegar, spices, and cinnamon. Cutting out the extra sugar, salt, processed oils and flours is a given. The only oils I use now are fish oil, EV-EP olive oil, and some grape seed or canola oil. Just keeping chemicals and pesticides off our dinner plates is easier said that done. It makes it harder when foods with the same basic appearance may have wildly different nutrients left in them based on their source, preparation, age, etc. Supplements are the same way. So many of them are trash regardless of what the labels might say.
Too much dairy (or any at all) for some people makes it harder to get results. I spend an extra $1.50 per dozen to buy eggs where the chickens are free-ranging and eating real or natural foods. Normally I'm tough to convince but since I drive right by these chickens on the way home, I know the product is as advertised. Too bad finding hormone and chemical free meats isn't as easy. Most dairy products come from an animal that is not in a very healthy or natural state (ie cheese, yogurt, milk). Unless you're getting your milk products and beef from an 1800's type cow, there are lots of questions to be asked.
Some people can drop their BP's just through stress relaxation techniques (meditation, yoga, deep breathing, tai chi, etc.). No guarantees that any of this will improve your BP, but it certainly will improve ones inflammation markers, lipid levels, etc. I just take it one small item/routine change at a time.
A BP of 135/80 is indeed cause for concern, as it predicts both an increased risk of developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
The official word (in order of magnitude of BP reduction) is to -
reduce weight;
adopt the DASH diet;
limit sodium intake as much as humanly possible (<2grams);
increase aerobic activity;
moderate alcohol consumption.
While this is the recommendation, my personal experience suggests that it is not uncommon for these changes to have 0 effect on ones blood pressure, although many do see an effect. Best of luck with it, and do what you can to prevent the development of hypertension!!
Your systolic is a little high but your diastolic is average for your age - ie 122/81 is the approximate average for your age group. BP is a single factor and shouldn't be treated as a cause for any sort of immediate alarm or anxiety.
You said you regularly measure your BP. Is this an issue that is making you anxious? It sounds like it may be. You've posted here after alll.....
If so .... leave the cuff on your arm and sit still watching tv or something without moving for 15 minutes or so and take it again. It can go down quite a lot. Also are you merely focusing on the highest measurement each day or the average approximately for the whole day? Some people worry about the high ones and ignore the lower ones .....
If you are active, without diabetes or high cholestorol then this is really something you shouldn't be overly concerned about. I do not agree that from what you have said so far it is "a cause for concern" but it'd obviously be better if your systolic were a little lower. In the UK doctors would describe your BP as pretty good and they certainly wouldn't even consider treating you with medications.
