Weight Loss and Lower Bp

[DW123]

I have been dieting for the past 3 months with great success, having lost 38 pounds. During this time I have continued to take my meds which consists of Atacand HCT 16 mg and Lotrell 10/20. I have an appointment next week with my doctor. My bp has steadily declined tonight it was 101/66, my heart rate was 59. My average 3 months ago was around 180/78 my heart rate was around 80. My question can anyone tell me does it sound as though maybe I can discontinue taking my meds or possibly discontinuing one of the two? Also does my readings sound as though they are too low?

[violet312s]

Wait for your appointment with your doctor, and be sure to bring your written BP reading averages just in case you get nervous at the visit.

1) Your doctor will be super-impressed with your weight loss
2) You doctor will smile with glee at your great BP readings
3) Most likely s/he will recommend you scale back medications
4) No, your BP isn't too low, it's just not what you've been used to (if you're dizzy that's a different story)

But don't scale them back on your own. Wait for your doctor's visit since it's only days away.

Congrats on focusing and succeeding at losing weight!!!

Can you share any tips?

[tfkeel]

Congratulations. You are achieving very good results from your regimen as a whole.

Although it is hard to know the exact effect your weight loss has had, an article published in the American Journal of Hypertension cited these test case results from an Italian study:

study conducted on 181 people, mean blood pressure 145/94 mm Hg, BMI 25-39 kg/m2 - none of the people received any drugs.

Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that a 10% weight loss predicted a 4.3/3.8-mm Hg decrease in 24-hour blood pressure

Taking a rough guess, from the BMI, 10% weight loss is probably on the order of 20-25 pounds in these people.

These figures are roughly consistent with the .38 mmHg per kilogram guidelines I remember. If this average applies to you, your 38 pound loss is
contributing a reduction in average BP of 7 mmHg. Your actual results may be higher - but this is the average.

[DW123]

Thank you for your replies and compliment. Originally (3 months ago) my doctor tested me and it showed I had A "fatty liver", also he said my sugar levels were high, basicly this scared the dickens out of me. He put me on a Diabetic diet (1500 calories a day) when I figured everything I was eating I was actually eating only about 1250 calories a day, it has been very effective for me. If anyone is interested I could make a copy and post it. It sure would be great if I could discontinue the bp meds. Again thank you for your replies.

[Lenin]

My bp has steadily declined tonight it was 101/66, my heart rate was 59. My average 3 months ago was around 180/78 my heart rate was around 80. My question can anyone tell me does it sound as though maybe I can discontinue taking my meds or possibly discontinuing one of the two? Also does my readings sound as though they are too low?

The readings are not TOO low if achieved normally. But to medicate them that low isn't a good idea.
By all means. experiment on yourself to see if lesser amounts of drugs will still get respectable BP's...anything lower than 120/80 with drugs is overkill. If you stop one or the other of the drugs, give it about 30 days before you make a final determination of the effect.

NOTHING lowers BP as readily as substantial weight loss...maybe you'll find out that you can deep-six BOTH drugs (all THREE actually.) Good Luck.