it’s national blood pressure week
just got checked out
i’m 36, 200lbs, 12%bf and got 139/68
apparently the 68 is good but the 139 bit isn’t, any advice guys?
Woah, 139/68 is a GINORMOUS gap if you ask me. Maybe you should have a more examination. Get an ECG and some blood work.
really, worth seeking advice?
[quote]legend wrote:
really, worth seeking advice?
[/quote]
I think you need to have it checked at least two or three times to be diagnosed as having high BP.
A doctor should check your lipid profile and maybe do an EKG if you haven’t had one. 12% BF is pretty good for a man your age so it doesn’t appear you are overweight.
A couple of things can raise your BP and are in your control to fix.
- Recent w/o or excercise before having it checked.
- Stress, possibly before you had it checked.
- High sodium in your diet.
- Certain supplements such as a fat burner, or caffeine.
Try watching the salt, upping the cardio and resting for a few hours before you have it checked again. If still high your doc mayh want to have more tests done. BP medicine is a pain in the ass for a lot of folks.
[quote]Mick28 wrote:
legend wrote:
really, worth seeking advice?
I’d have it checked out. They say that this "gap’ which is referred to as “pulse pressure” should be no more than 40 to 50 points. So, if you’re Systolic figure (top) is 130, your diastolic number (bottom) should be no less than 80. Now granted this is not set in stone. But you are way off the mark. You’re probably fine, but get it checked anyway.[/quote]
This is right on. High blood pressure (both numbers) is unhealthy and will likely lead to problems. But if there is a huge gap then you’ve got a problem with blood returning to the heart. Get tested a few more times to get a running record of your BP, then get it checked out by a cardiologist or whatever if the gap is still there.
ok guys thanks for the heads up
would a higher muscle mass than normal affect the outgoing pressure figure the [139]
mind i had just driven for 3.5 hrs and had 3 strong coffees…
[quote]legend wrote:
ok guys thanks for the heads up
would a higher muscle mass than normal affect the outgoing pressure figure the [139]
mind i had just driven for 3.5 hrs and had 3 strong coffees…[/quote]
Well driving always raises my blood pressure. Especially in an urban area. 3 cups of strong coffee would have dropped 300mg of caffeine into your system and that definetly would.
I think you are fine but cut our those variables and get retested. Compare the results.
would shit loads of eggs and steak have anything to do with it?
[quote]legend wrote:
ok guys thanks for the heads up
would a higher muscle mass than normal affect the outgoing pressure figure the [139]
mind i had just driven for 3.5 hrs and had 3 strong coffees…[/quote]
No wonder why. Get your BP in a relatively calm and coffee free state.
As for muscle mass affecting blood pressure, I’m not sure, but an increase in blood vessels due to muscle mass would be a better way to look at it.
[quote]legend wrote:
it’s national blood pressure week
just got checked out
i’m 36, 200lbs, 12%bf and got 139/68
apparently the 68 is good but the 139 bit isn’t, any advice guys?
[/quote]
How were you checked out?
The equipment used (and the person using it) is important. Many devices for measuring BP aren’t very accurate, especially if they use the wrist or a finger to test BP.
Also, with the conventional sleeve-type systems, make sure the sleeve they use fits you. We have a home BP monitor here and it came with a sleeve that only went to 17". When I tested myself with it, my readings where artificially high. With the “extra-large” sleeve we later bought (and from the look of the pharmacist, you’d think that anyone with arms over 17" is some sort of freak mutant) my readings went back into normal range.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet or not, but here is what the blood pressure readings mean.
The top number is the systolic blood pressure or the pressure during a heartbeat contraction (called systole). The bottom number is the pressure in your arteries at rest (between contractions called diastolic).
A high systolic number could indicate:
- High fluid volume in system
- Constriction of vessels due to stress
- Higher pressure due to narrowed arteries due to plaque formations
A high diastolic pressure could indicate:
- High fluid volume due to poor venous return or right sided heart failure
- Lack of elasticity in the vessels due to hardening (hardening of the arteries)
- Constriction of vessels due to stress
Generally, if both numbers are elevated (140/90), then you have a problem. But if just the systolic number is elevated it could just be stress or some environmental factor.
GINORMOUS it isn’t. Sounds like a normal reaction to the coffee. If your pressure is consistently like that then a check up wouldn’t hurt, but I wouldn’t call it emergent.
looked up and found that i was 125/70 1 year ago, so it looks like the systolic is a little high.
think i may factor in a little more cardio and lose the coffee
[quote]legend wrote:
looked up and found that i was 125/70 1 year ago, so it looks like the systolic is a little high.
think i may factor in a little more cardio and lose the coffee[/quote]
Something else you need to factor in is your BP is always changing. It can go up by simple things like hearing a sudden loud noise, your favorite team scoring a touchdown, doing a few pushups, etc. And it can go down just as easily. Just because your BP was 125/70 once 1 year ago and 139/68 once a year later doesn’t mean your BP is higher except at those exact moments in time. It takes several blood pressures over time in the same circumstances to determine if your bp is going up.
It’s like weighing yourself in the morning just after your morning poop one day then weighing yourself at the end of the day after a few big meals. Your weight will go up, but that doesn’t mean you’re fatter
thanks Jon, well explained
the girl administering the test was pretty hot too 