Have a Heart...

[BigdummySteve]

Had an interesting few days with medical people.
First I had my initial COVID vacation on Saturday Bloody efficient they were and hopefully they are our way back to some type of normalcy.
The second started with a visit to my stepdad, ( he’s in my allowed single persons ‘bubble’ (hate that phrase))
He recently changed doctors and on joining the practice they gave him a check up to see what they were letting themselves in for. The upshot of this was he’s now taking medication for blood pressure. Naturally I had a play with the blood pressure monitor machine, my results were right on maximum systolic/diastolic shown on the NHS chart........after I knocked 20 off as apparently it was outside medical range

The doctor saw me just over an hour after I called him Monday morning, when he measured it on his arm squeezer it had dropped to 187/116. Medication and follow up visits are in hand.

Bit of a shock really, I’d assumed I was fairly healthy. Despite COVID I actually had a pretty consistent year on the bike in 2020, 600+ kilometres in December usually at least 50 miles a week.
Now I’ve had a very stressful year what with marriage, Covid job issues and my mother in intensive care, the last three months have fairly crap, little work, little exercise and extra wine like many, the doc says this is very unlikely to be an issue which has developed in 12 weeks however.

Moral of this story, when that invitation for a health check up comes from the doctor take him up on it. I didn’t 2 years ago, I assumed that I was doing most things right and therefore didn’t need it.
I’ve got a feeling I’ve been lucky, I really should have learnt a lesson from ‘pickers’.

Getting old sucks, I definitely want to practice it for a few more decades though

[Verena]

Yes, bit of a shock I bet, but as you say also lucky, as it gives you a chance to get it under control.

Your moral of the story, yes, agree, from experience with my Mr Z, it's all not much fun to watch the BP, cholesterol, pies n biscuits and all that lark; but diabetes, strokes and heart attacks are very much even less fun...

[ledburner]

Sobering, stress takes no prisoners,
I need to get grip of my sweet tooth vice and actually get out riding than intending but prevaracating....
Yes also loosing count in my fifth decade...

[middleagedmadness]

Been on 2 lots of bp tablets for years Steve , and mine started when I was cycling every day ,for some of us it’s just happens , , had my jab on Monday , 2 nights of feeling like poor show but this morning seem to be not to bad , hopefully it helps deal with my long COVID too

[BigdummySteve]

The thing is Stu, like possibly many of us I assumed I was fairly healthy. Exercise regularly, I eat moderate amounts of red meat, watch salt intake, gave up smoking ten years ago etc. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a saint, I love a bacon butty, I’ll have a proper all in cooked breakfast once a month and like a beer and glass of red a little too often. I thought I had the balance tipped heavily in the good side, the fact that I’ve been walking around with a heart attack or stroke stalking me is very sobering.

[Bearbonesnorm]

What's your caffeine intake like Steve? I know my BP will rise noticeably with an increase in caffeine.

[BigdummySteve]

Very moderate Stu, I do like proper coffee. My morning starts with the sound of a grinder(coffee!)
Usually I’ll only have around two cups a day though.

Might have to rethink my latest acquisition though

[BigdummySteve]

Thinking about it could tea count? I like it strong, two bags of Assam brewed to a mahogany shade, splash of milk. Not at your legendary quantities but 3 cups a day roughly.

[ScotRoutes]

I had high BP for a while and it was all work/stress related. I made some changes in my approach to work, then managed myself into a role change. That was 20 years ago and I've not had a problem since (though this thread has prompted me to dig out the BP monitor later).

[Bearbonesnorm]

Certainly doesn't sound like you're over-doing the caffeine fella but worth considering when you have a BP reading taken, as caffeine before could spike it.

[redefined_cycles]

Define

user_id=4282]
, watch salt intake,

[PaulB2]

Tea theoretically has more caffeine than coffee though only if you chew on the leaves to extract it.

[thenorthwind]

The thought of giving up coffee is enough to spike my blood pressure!

The espresso machine is a actually a good move, particularly if you were brewing coffee before - brewed coffee (filter, cafetiere, inverted aeropress - basically, long slow extraction) tends to extract more caffeine than espresso (short, high pressure extraction). Also, darker roasts, somewhat counter-intuitively, retain more caffeine. So drinking a jet black French roast espresso might seem hardcore caffeine consumption, but is actually one of the lowest caffeine forms of coffee. Though adding milk changes the way it's metabolised, I believe, so a flat white may be more optimal for avoiding "spikes" - like drinking a pint with a meal rather than on an empty stomach.

[middleagedmadness]

Certainly doesn't sound like you're over-doing the caffeine fella but worth considering when you have a BP reading taken, as caffeine before could spike it.

Also mate when your going for your check try and get the first appointment, and go fasted , as your pressure rises and falls throughout the day and it’s pot luck what the reading will be , also expect it to be high for your first couple of check ups due to white coat syndrome, it took about 10 weeks for them to get my medication right , mines not perfect but the average throughout the day is 145/90 , still a little high but the doctors can live with it , also when the meds kick in it’s a bit like smoking a joint as your body is used to running on high octane you’ll be down to standard 4 star fuel , it’s a bit strange at first but you get used to it , they may also try and give you statins more matter what your cholesterol is as mine was low but when they put all the data into the computer it came up with a 80% chance of heart attack before 50 , so I had those for a few years too , now for some reason they aren’t on my repeat prescription anymore , but yourself a monitor and just keep a eye on it through out the week , think the best I’ve had is 119/70 with resting heart rate of 54 , I nearly dropped down when the nurse gave my readings

[Cheddar Man]

Certainly doesn't sound like you're over-doing the caffeine fella but worth considering when you have a BP reading taken, as caffeine before could spike it.

Also mate when your going for your check try and get the first appointment, and go fasted , as your pressure rises and falls throughout the day and it’s pot luck what the reading will be, also expect it to be high for your first couple of check ups due to white coat syndrome, it took about 10 weeks for them to get my medication right , mines not perfect but the average throughout the day is 145/90 , still a little high but the doctors can live with it , also when the meds kick in it’s a bit like smoking a joint as your body is used to running on high octane you’ll be down to standard 4 star fuel , it’s a bit strange at first but you get used to it , they may also try and give you statins more matter what your cholesterol is as mine was low but when they put all the data into the computer it came up with a 80% chance of heart attack before 50 , so I had those for a few years too , now for some reason they aren’t on my repeat prescription anymore , but yourself a monitor and just keep a eye on it through out the week , think the best I’ve had is 119/70 with resting heart rate of 54 , I nearly dropped down when the nurse gave my readings

Early morning BP measurements are not that hugely affected by the lack of food overnight, it can make a big difference to some blood tests, but not so much the BP.

If you are going to want a really accurate measure, ask, no assertively request, a "24hr ambulatory blood pressure check". They will know what you are asking for.

It is a BP monitor that you wear all day and night and just go about your normal day, it regularly does its thing and over the 24 hours it gives you a really accurate measurement.

[Pickers]

Good advice here. BP that high can give the same crap as I’ve had/got - you want to be avoiding that!

Coffee makes some difference but not huge for me so I wouldn’t necessarily lose too much sleep there (nice machine btw!).

Make sure you tell the doc you’re pretty active - it may have some influence on which drugs they give you. Some are better at allowing you to carry on unhindered, others may really knock you about. And doesn’t work for me may well suit you. That doesn’t help does it!?

[middleagedmadness]

Had the monitor strapped to me when I first got diagnosed, can’t remember what the readings were but it was sufficient to double my meds , the other is just from personal experience if I’ve skipped breaky, no coffe or a smoke then my readings are down , but strangely also at bedtime the readings are quite low

[Verena]

What's your caffeine intake like Steve? I know my BP will rise noticeably with an increase in caffeine.

When Mr Z had his heart attacks, the docs weren't on the slightest bit bothered about his caffeine intake... I tried switching us to decaff for a while anyway, but that didn't last long....

[Fat tyre kicker]

I had a very high bp reading a year ago on the day of my medical
For my psv license, I'd had a few strong coffees previously, my gp
Told me to double my usual bp meds ( I'm on a low dose) and have
No coffee....I passed with flying colours.....

[BigdummySteve]

Some good advice here thanks, 52 in August so I expect I’ll start pissing my pants as well.

[redefined_cycles]

Some good advice here thanks, 52 in August so I expect I’ll start pissing my pants as well.

Stwve... regards salt intake. Remember that almost all the food we eat has plenty salt to meet our daily requirements and beyond. Therefore the correct amount of salt to add to your chips and other stuff where you might think it's required, is 0... That's just my 2 pence. Good reminder to get me to recheck my BP also

[slarge]

if you sign up to give blood / platelets then you get a BP measurement for nowt - double benefit! And you lose a bit of weight.

[Loki]

I have been medicated for blood pressure since 20011, for some reason my pressure is prone to spiking, this past three years I have hardly touched the bike and my weight and fitness has gone to sub standard, but I know about it, daily monitoring and I am now allowed to ride again and sleep out alone, it has certainly saved me, get those routine check ups people.

[frogatthefarriers]

Bit of a shock really, I’d assumed I was fairly healthy.

I can relate to this, ‘cos so did I up until May last year and my BP was typically 135/85 at the time. Now I’m thinking it might be time to draw up a bucket list.