Isolated systolic hypertension & Wide Pulse Pressure

[MelissaM]

Just curious if anyone else deals with Isolated Systolic Hypertension and/or a wide pulse pressure. Isolated Systolic Hypertension is where your systolic blood pressure is high, but your diastolic number is low (normal = 120/80). Usual pulse pressure is around 40 - 60, and represents the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures.

Since surgery 3 years ago, I have had consistent issues with a wide pulse pressure (130/60, for example, leading to a pulse pressure of 70), and now I am dealing with isolated systolic hypertension (my last reading was 141/73). Just wondering if there are others who also have this going on, and if so, what is being done about it? Can it be improved with exercise? Does it needs meds?

Everything else is good.

Thanks,
Melissa

 

[Christina L]

Hi Melissa -

Hi Melissa -

My blood pressure is starting to climb but my diastolic number is the reading I am most unnerved about - usually around 80-85 now and used to be in the low 70s. My systolic number stays in the 20s or 30s, sometimes in the 40s but rarely.

I am not sure what is happening either, except that I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism and that can cause high blood pressure and a low pulse rate - that is my story. My pulse rate is consistently low around 60-70 and my blood pressure is starting to climb.

I hope you will get some good advice here on VR.com. What does your doctor say? I see my cardiologist this Friday, so will ask him about blood pressure readings and what they mean.

Christina L

 

[Christina L]

P.s.

P.s.

Systolic is in the 120s and 130s, that is.

Christina L

 

[Der Biermeister]

One thing everyone needs to be aware of. BP readings are an imperfect science at best. Almost everyone displays some degree of anxiety when having their BP taken by a doctor or nurse -- and some of us have it really bad to where a condition called White Coat Syndrome becomes a major player.

NO ONE should have their BP taken until they are completely relaxed for maybe up to 15 mins. See the picture? That is HARD to do, when being rushed into a doctor's office. BUT, I can guarantee you that your bp readings will be significantly lower when you are relaxed. Even when I take my own at home -- my first readings are ALWAYS much higher than when I settle down. For instance -- I always get a first systolic reading of around 140 (or even a bit higher). After a few minutes of relaxing, it drops to the upper 120s.

For those of you who ARE concerned about bp, I would advise that you get a GOOD cuff for home use and LEARN how to get accurate readings (or as close to accurate as you can get). Keep a log of your readings and always take the list with you to your doctor's appointments.

 

[MelissaM]

Chris, thanks for your note. I appreciate the possible link to hypothyroidism as well. Ironically, I go to see the endocrinologist on Thursday to check out my thyroid. Since getting 1/2 of it removed three years ago, I haven't had any follow up - thought it was about time. What were your TSH levels at that they diagnosed the hypothyroidism? The last time mine were tested, my levels were just over 4.

Hope you and Wayne are doing well!

Melissa

 

[MelissaM]

As for my BP readings. . .these have been done in a variety of settings over a long period of time (two years) with consistent results. This isn't just a one-time measurement. For two years, I have been experiencing wide pulse pressure and isolated systolic hypertension and feel I have enough data to call it a trend.

 

[Christina L]

I have wondered if

I have wondered if

I should get a blood pressure cuff for home use. I will look into that.

Melissa - where did I miss that?? That you had half of your thyroid removed!! You may have told me and I had forgotten.

My TSH was just over 4 also and now the upper limit of normal has been lowered to 3. From what I gather from doctors (and the internet) the TSH is not a reliable way to test the thyroid. It is symptoms. Some people have a mildly elevated TSH and have major symptoms and the other way around.

I forget if it was the T4 or T3 - but one of mine was very low - like I wasn't making any of it at all. I have dry skin, sleep apnea, weight gain, depression, low pulse rate, rising blood pressure....the list goes on - obvious signs of hypothyroidism. I am on Armour Thyroid and have noticed a change in my energy level and mood, but not a whole lot yet. I am sure I need to be on a higher dose, but am nervous about arrhythmias.

Hypothyroidism is very, very common from what I have read. My cardiologist told me I was becoming hypothyroid probably before my heart surgery and the heart surgery kicked me over into it full blown. I will be anxious to hear what your endocrinologist has to say.

Wayne and I are doing fine. I got a new job - outside the home!! Yay! I am an administrative assistant to a group of realtors here in Estes Park. It truly gets my mind off of my health problems as it is a busy office. Send me a private E-mail! We hope to make it to Boulder soon for a Sunday to spend time on Pearl Street. Hope we can get together.

Take care -

Chris

 

[Sherry]

Christina, I just bought one about three months ago and take my readings at least once (sometimes twice) per day. I would recommend that for you too. My readings are pretty consistently in the 130s over 80s, but I'm bound and determined to get them down with diet and exercise. I'm even cutting back on the caffeine, which is a very hard habit to break. At my next physical (in the fall), I'm going to be armed with months worth of numbers to show my doc. If I can't get the numbers down with lifestyle changes, I'm going to push him about a low dose bp pill. It runs in my family, so I may have no choice but to go the medication route.

Melissa, I wasn't aware of isolated hypertension. I hope you can get some information and advice on this. Please keep us informed as to your progress.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Actually Melissa, even though I haven't had surgery....

Actually Melissa, even though I haven't had surgery....

Mine does the same thing yours does....The top number goes way up, and the bottom number sometimes goes WAYYYYY in the opposite direction.....I have mentioned this to my doc(s), and they don't seem concerned at all but then again, as I have stated in past posts, the medical practice out here in New Hampshire is really lousy....all they are concerned about is making his/her Porsche payments and reaching the end of the day.... Hope they can get this straightened out for you...Harrybaby

 

[MelissaM]

Sherry - thanks for your post. Let me know how your lifestyle changes work. That is the part that frustrates me a bit w/r/t the high systolic number. For the most part, I exercise (3 mile walk 3x's/week), eat organic/healthy, don't do caffiene, etc. So I am not sure what else I can do there. . . It is frustrating to feel like even with all of that, the systolic number is high.

Harry, I think most doctors don't necessarily know about systolic hyptertension and what do to with it, so they ignore it. Strange, huh.

I will let you know what the endocrinologist says on Thursday. Chris- my thyroid surgery led to the endocarditis, which led to the heart surgery. Treatment & follow up for it got completely overshadowed by the heart stuff.

 

[Christina L]

High blood pressure

High blood pressure

is so easily treatable usually by medications. I was told once by a doctor that most people have an increase in their blood pressure as they age - it is the nature of the beast I think.

Melissa, what about salt? Do you try to go easy on it?

Sherry - HBP runs in my family also. My grandmother had it and religiously took her medication - she lived until 95 with no major heart problems. My mother also had HBP and many others on her side of the family. How much do blood pressure cuffs cost?

I always had low BP until now, so it is rather scary what is happening to my heart and body post surgery. AND worrying about HBP doesn't help!

Keep us posted Melissa. Hope to see you soon!

Chris

 

[Sherry]

Christina, they range from about 30.00 - 100.00 at Walgreens. I purchased a digital for about 70.00, and it's very user friendly. I would suggest you get one.

By the way, my readings have been rather high the last several days so I have a call out to the cardio right now to ask him about getting on a low dose pill. I play tennis with a retired heart surgeon, and he and I talked quite a bit this morning about this very issue. He said that with a prosthetic, I shouldn't be messing around with hbp at all and that I should be on meds to get it down. Melissa, I'm like you, I exercise pretty consistently and eat well. It seems my lifestyle changes should have already had some effect by now. I really understand your frustration.

 

[Soilman]

Ever since I can remember my normal BP ran about 135-140 over 80. I've been an avid runner 15-20 miles /week) and weight lifter for over 20 years. Sometime between mid Aug. of last year and early Oct. of last year, my BP shot up to 160/80. No rhyme or reason to it. I was very upset, being as how I'd exercised hard for over 20 years and watched my diet as well. I express this to my Doc. He pretty much said some folks just have the genitics for high BP and threre ain't one darn thing you can do to prevent it if you do. (my dad had high BP too.) I'm presently taking 10mg of Altace. So far my BP has leveled off around 130/75. Good luck!

 

[Sherry]

Soilman, he just gave me some Altace samples, which I started this morning. Have you ever had any side effects? Does it affect your energy level?

 

[Soilman]

No, I have not noticed any side effects. Like you, I was worried about possible side effects. I asked about them (especially about making me tired or sluggish). Doc said I shouldn't experience any such effects. He said most common side effects was a "dry cough", but I've not had that either. The only other effect, which would be unnoticed, would be an elevated potassium level. That will be checked periodically at the doctors office.

Don't be discouraged if your dosage needs to be adjusted several times. I started on the lowest dosage, moved up to the middle dossage and finally to the highest dosage about 2 months ago. Hopefully I'm stable now.

One possitive "side effect" of Altace is that it is good for heart conditions such as valve stenosis. Both my regular Doc and my cardiologist said it should help my heart to function better.

Best of luck.

Barry

 

[Sherry]

Thanks for the info, Barry. When I was in the office picking up my samples yesterday, the cardio came out and told me to beware of that dry cough and to call him if I notice it. I've only taken two doses, so I suppose if it were going to happen, it would take some time. He has me on 5mg per day for two weeks and then 10mg per day for a month. At that point, I'll have to fill the script. That's great that it may help the heart function better. One can only hope, huh?

My dad fought hbp his whole life, yet my mom's completely normal. I (the oldest at 42), my brother at 39, and my baby brother at 31 all have it. Talk about losing the genetic jackpot. None of us is overweight, we all eat fairly healthy, and we all exercise, especially the youngest who is a captain in the Army. I just hate that hbp plagues all three of us. I'm sure you understand the frustration. Hopefully, this drug will help.

 

[Christina L]

Sherry -

Sherry -

I am glad you were placed on a BP medicine. I hope it works well for you with no side effects.

Thanks for the advice on the BP cuffs. I bought one yesterday at a local drug store. I spent $100.00 on mine - it is automatic and also gives my pulse rate. I am obsessed with it so far. I don't like what I see with my BP. My diastolic pressure is most certainly going up.

Yesterday in the cardio's office, my BP when first taken was 118/86. My cardiologist told me to get a home cuff and keep a record of my BPs for two months and to come back and see him. He said it is rather concerning if my diastolic is going up. Funny, I don't think he would have said anything about my BP if I wouldn't have said something to him.

This cardio is also the one who after my echo last November showing right possible heart enlargement, told me to come back in a year. I have since found out on my own that I have hypothyroidism and mild sleep apnea - definite possible causes of right heart enlargment (if my right heart is truly enlarging).

My husband told me again after my appointment yesterday that I need to get a new cardiologist - one who will talk to me (I need a doctor who will schmooz). This cardio wants to do a BNP next time which is the blood test to check for heart failure. He said he wanted to get this test for other reasons and that I am surely not in heart failure, but....what is the reason then for the test?

Needless to say, as usual, I left his office and now am worrying again. However, this cardio did say that wearing a CPAP machine or oxygen should put a stop to the heart enlargement and apnea spells. He also used the term pulmonary hypertension for the first time and said I probably have PH when the apnea spells happen. All this time this group of cardios have been telling me I absolutely do not have PH.

Thank God for the internet (at times) - if it weren't for my own investigative work, my heart might have continued to enlarge and maybe had some damage done.

Anyway, HBP is a byproduct of sleep apnea and HBP also can cause heart enlargement in itself. I have a feeling that I may be being put on a BP medicine soon. As I said it runs in our family also and I know for a fact that if a person takes their medicine religiously and follows a GOOD doctor's orders, they will lead a long normal life.

Melissa - I know you sent me a personal E-mail but I didn't ask you about your HBP and what the doc said about that. I only asked about your thyroid. Do you need medication for your HBP?

Christina L

 

[tommy]

Melissa,

Sorry to see your BP moving around. I agree with you that the change you've seen looks like a trend. With a personal cuff, you could take you BP before and after exercise - see if that is a variable.

I check my BP once a month, and check resting heart rate every morning. Of course my HR is easy to check, just be very quiet.

Hope you get to the bottom of your BP issue and get it solved soon.