# $ Behind "Ideal" Blood Pressure



## pani (Jan 26, 2008)

I just came across this article talking about the politics behind lowering the numbers for "ideal" blood pressure. It is not new, but certainly informative:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/sick1.html


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## Miss Vickie (Jan 27, 2008)

Yipes, Pani, I don't know quite what to think about that. It seems like in some cases the treatment is worse than the disease; OTOH, years of even mild hypertension can damage microvessels in the eyes, kidneys and (for the fellas) the penis. So it definitely bears treating; I'm just not sure they need to go quite so gung ho, especially when lots of people who have high pressures in doctors' offices have normal pressures at home.

I usually suggest for people who have high readings in doctors' offices to get their own cuff if they can and take it first thing in the morning before getting out of bed (to establish a baseline) and then sometime later in the day when they've been up doing stuff (to see what it's like when they're up and about -- it should be higher but still within the normal range). Then they can show it to their doctor and maybe avoid unnecessary blood pressure meds. White coat hypertension is a well known phenomenon, but in the presence of the fear of heart disease (which is, admittedly, the biggest killer of adults in the US) I think sometimes we forget that.


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## Risible (Jan 27, 2008)

Vickie, I would add to your excellent post that if you have a home BP monitoring device, bring it to your next doctor's visit to calibrate it with the office BP cuff, that way you'll know how much to adjust for. And it bears repeating, make sure the doctor's office uses the right size cuff! Many times a supersize person requires a thigh cuff for proper reading. I know I do.

It doesn't surprise me at all that Big Pharm is manipulating the public's perceptions in order to increase profits. I know my own doctor seemed skeptical of that report after it came out a couple, three years ago. Nevertheless, I would prefer my own reading be as close to 120/80 as possible. BP, the silent killer (at least, I think it's BP, or is it diabetes?).


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## Miss Vickie (Jan 28, 2008)

Risible said:


> Vickie, I would add to your excellent post that if you have a home BP monitoring device, bring it to your next doctor's visit to calibrate it with the office BP cuff, that way you'll know how much to adjust for.




Oooh, excellent idea. I can't believe I forgot that! 



> And it bears repeating, make sure the doctor's office uses the right size cuff! Many times a supersize person requires a thigh cuff for proper reading. I know I do.



They keep trying to use the regular size cuff on me now because I'm smaller, but guess what? My arms are still quite big, especially when you take into account the 9" of excess skin. So not only do the smaller ones barely fit, but they hurt like a mofo, too. So yes, make sure they use a larger cuff and if for some reason they don't have one, it is possible to get an accurate BP on a forearm. I don't like it -- it's not comfortable, at least for me -- but it's at least something.



> Nevertheless, I would prefer my own reading be as close to 120/80 as possible. BP, the silent killer (at least, I think it's BP, or is it diabetes?).



I'd say both, actually. Lots of times people don't have symptoms of diabetes until they're VERY ill. My brother was totally asymptomatic and even ate a diet healthy with lots of veggies and very little junk; he's only 58 and has lost some of his eyesight, has irreversible heart damage, constant non-healing sores, and permanent neuropathy in his arms, hands, legs and feet. So yeah, both can be silent. Plus they usually go together like peanut butter and chocolate (yummmmm) so if you've got one, don't be surprised if you don't have the other, too. When Burtimus's pressures were really high he did get a lot of headaches, but headaches are so vague a symptom and can mean so many different things that we didn't put two and two together for quite awhile.


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## HottiMegan (Jan 28, 2008)

I have 120/80 readings in my obgyn's office and the nurse always acts concerned. (i have white coat syndrom on top of it) it makes me wonder if i'll be labeled as hypertensive falsley. At home it's usually like 105-115 over 65-75..


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