blood pressure

fad2007 · July 21, 2006, 7:42am

Hi my name is Stan, I'm a 17 year old male, I weigh 235 lbs and I am 6' 2". I just had my blood pressure taken yesterday, three times while at the doctors and each reading varied around 1 or 2 mmHg but they where right around 120 over 55. It seemed somewhat odd to me but the nurse who took it didn't mention anything about it.
I'm wondering if this is just normal or if I should have this checked out further.

els · July 21, 2006, 11:54am

Hi Stan, Welcome to Healing Well forum, we are happy to have you. I am wondering why the nurse felt the need to take your blood pressure 3 times if your BP was 120/55? That is not a bad blood pressure for someone your age, and weight actually I would accept it to be a little higher. But it really is in the normal range all for the diastolic number, which is the bottom number 55, which is a little low, but nothing to be concerned about. If she took your BP three times, why did she not say to you why she was doing so? Just seems odd to me.... Anyhow, I am going to post a link to you on blood pressures so you can read up. Take care

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/107/108712.htm

Elisha

http://www.healingwell.com/donate

Aldo · July 24, 2006, 2:12pm

Hi Stan

srhpalmer · July 24, 2006, 5:17pm

Aldo, my b/p readings tend to stay in the 100/55 range. Sometimes when in pain or stressed it goes up to 120/70, but that's a rare reading for me. The docs have never said anything about it being too low. I weigh 110, and I'm 5'2", and fairly in shape. Would that be a normal b/p for me, even though it sounds low? My numbers tend to change both at the same time.. if the systolic goes up any, the diastolic raises with it.
Sarah

I'm not procrastinating----I'm still doing yesterday!!!!

_{I have no medical training, any medical opinions expressed in my posts are just that....opinions.}

Aldo · July 24, 2006, 7:10pm

Hi Sarah

100/55 is much better than 120/55. Your pulse pressure is 45. Stan's pp is 65. I believe that high pp starts around 45 or 50. My pp is around 35, which is normal.

Diastolic pressure less than 60 mmhg is considered low in most of the medical literature that I have read. Normal BP is 120/80 in theory I guess. I wouldn't worry if I were you unless you are experiencing some kind of symptom associated with hypOtension. For instance if your systolic pressure was too low, you might feel faint when you suddenly stand (your brain receives the most blood when your heart contracts).

I do not know any symptoms of low diastolic pressure other than over a long period of time (years), your heart may cause symptoms involved with not being supplied enough blood. This is just a wild guess on my part and is totally theoretical!

We are talking about resting BP here. When you just stand, the BP increases by 10-15 mmhg in normal people. This doesn't happen in people with postural hypotension, and they sometimes faint. When you exercise, your BP goes even higher. Your bodies O2 demand increases so our heart rate and force of contraction increase along with our BP.

If your doc is not worried about your BP, if I were you, I wouldn't either :)

Rj

srhpalmer · July 24, 2006, 10:42pm

I just reread my own post.. and made a mistake.. my b/p is usually 100/65, not 55. So I guess I am normal after all...lol.
Thanks RJ
Sarah

I'm not procrastinating----I'm still doing yesterday!!!!

_{I have no medical training, any medical opinions expressed in my posts are just that....opinions.}

DREAMGIRL · July 25, 2006, 12:35am

hey Aldo, i just got off the treadmill after 30 mins. my heart rate was about 111 fo most of that. i went up immediately to check my bp and heart rate and it was 116/66 heart rate 94. Eo you think my bp stayed so low because i take lisinopril, just 5mg, and is that good or bad? i know you are not a doc, just wondered what you think

It is so hot here in the seattle area. we do not usually suffer the heat so bad

Aldo · July 25, 2006, 12:50pm

I hain't no doc, thats fer shore :) I am a plowboy...Your heart rate drops very fast when you stop exercise. The better shape you're in the faster it drops. Did you check your BP and pulse rate about 30 minutes after you stopped? That is an excellent BP you have and yes your lisinopril (ace inhibitor for hypertension) may have kept it down a bit. I wouldn't worry about that at all. You are trying to get your pulse rate up and sustain it for a period of time (aerobic exercise).

I take beta blockers which limit how fast my heart can beat, and it also limits the force of contraction. My target heart rate for the last stress test I had was 145 bpm and I made it. There is a formula that docs, jocks and fitness freaks use to determine your, or their "target heart rate".

This is an interesting subject to me, that is, what happens to your BP when you exercise.

Aerobic (running,etc) and anaerobic exercise (weight lifting, etc) effects the BP differently. Here is a blurb or two, with some links that might work :) (they call aerobic= dynamic, and anaerobic= static)

"What happens to my blood pressure during exercise?

Although blood pressure goes up during any kind of exercise, the exact changes are different according to whether the exercise is static or dynamic.

Static (or isometric) exercise is defined as a sustained contraction of a muscle group, and is typified by weight lifting.

Dynamic exercise is characterized by intermittent and rhythmical contractions; examples are running, bicycling, and swimming.

During static exercise there is a marked increase of both systolic and diastolic pressure (up to 300/150 mm Hg in champion barbell lifters), whereas with dynamic exercise only the systolic pressure increases.

Many activities involve a mixture of both types of exercise. Using a Nautilus machine produces the same changes as dynamic exercise."

http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/blood/articleView.asp?MessageID=52

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3034814

DREAMGIRL · July 25, 2006, 5:01pm

aldo, i cannot beleive you got your heart rate up to 145, the best i can do is 120 and that is usually a bit higher than i can go. i do have a monitor on my treadmill and i stay in the 69% of my target heart rate for most of that time. i do a 3.5 pace on a level two incline. how does that stack up with your numbers. maybe you do not use a treadmill. thanks in any event for your input.

Aldo · July 25, 2006, 6:08pm

I haven't been able to use my treadmill in quite awhile Dgirl. I don't want to damage my joints. I am kind of "crippled up" now. I think I will be ready to start soon though.

That is a great workout you have got going. I have never been able, since my mi, to do 3.5 for 30 minutes, especially at any incline at all. As far as the 145 pulse rate, well I always have asked what the target rate was and was told 145, and then was told that I made it. I haven't had a tmill test in over 2 years.

Keep up the great workout :)

Rj