Comments on: High Blood Pressure and Follow-up Care http://www.marksdailyapple.com/high-blood-pressure/ Serving up health and fitness insights (daily, of course) with a side of irreverence. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:27:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: wamylove http://www.marksdailyapple.com/high-blood-pressure/#comment-27956 wamylove Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:34:40 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/high-blood-pressure/#comment-27956 I found the Dr's never explore alternatives, put you on meds, up the doses and add more meds and ignore complaints of often life threatening side effects (adverse reactions.) I got HBP from hormone injections and got sick on every class of med with little control. I'm going to a Dr. who has succeeded in lowering it with natural methods. Then again, mine was secondary; I'm slim, never smoked, don't drink, have worked out for decades and have a good diet. I found the Dr’s never explore alternatives, put you on meds, up the doses and add more meds and ignore complaints of often life threatening side effects (adverse reactions.) I got HBP from hormone injections and got sick on every class of med with little control. I’m going to a Dr. who has succeeded in lowering it with natural methods.
Then again, mine was secondary; I’m slim, never smoked, don’t drink, have worked out for decades and have a good diet.

]]> By: DaveC http://www.marksdailyapple.com/high-blood-pressure/#comment-27835 DaveC Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:16:11 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/high-blood-pressure/#comment-27835 After years of being a rock-solid 120/80, I started showing elevated numbers from time-to-time on doctor's office visits. I tried to blow it off as faulty automatic equipment or white-coat hypertension; however, my doctor finally insisted on putting me on medication. I hate the idea of HAVING to take a pill every day but fortunately I have no side effects from it. My paternal grandfather died from a stroke and my dad has been having TIA incidents (what some call a "mild" stroke but ain't nuthin mild about it). So I take my pills, and my BP monitor lives on the same table with my laptop!! After years of being a rock-solid 120/80, I started showing elevated numbers from time-to-time on doctor’s office visits. I tried to blow it off as faulty automatic equipment or white-coat hypertension; however, my doctor finally insisted on putting me on medication. I hate the idea of HAVING to take a pill every day but fortunately I have no side effects from it. My paternal grandfather died from a stroke and my dad has been having TIA incidents (what some call a “mild” stroke but ain’t nuthin mild about it). So I take my pills, and my BP monitor lives on the same table with my laptop!!

]]> By: Cindy Moore http://www.marksdailyapple.com/high-blood-pressure/#comment-27783 Cindy Moore Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:06:22 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/high-blood-pressure/#comment-27783 This is one area that no one should ignore, but so many do. There is usually no pain, discomfort, limitation with high BP....at least until you get serious complications. Moderate elevations should be initially treated by lifestyle changes, diet (especially low carb!) and exercise and quitting smoking are excellent starts, but unfortunately too many will still need medications to keep their BP in healthy ranges. A few years back they lowered the threshold and I for one was glad they did. Everyone should be monitoring their BP and they should see their doc as soon as they find it elevated. If given meds they must be taken....if you don't like the reaction, tell your doc for a different one, there are at least a dozen different meds out there and many are very effective with minimal side effects. IMHO the older drugs are much better and safer than the newer ones. I'm a RN and have seen so many unnecessary damage from ignored high BP. A 65 yr old newly retired man with a devastating stroke, an elderly woman with a fatal stroke, a 53 yr old woman with kidney damage from untreated high BP, a 30 yr old new with a ruptured aneurysm in his brain, and more. All the screaming about fat and cholesterol and we essentially ignore high BP! A real problem is ignored and a fake one is pushed and promoted. Makes no sense to me. People often do not understand just how dangerous high BP can be! This is one area that no one should ignore, but so many do. There is usually no pain, discomfort, limitation with high BP….at least until you get serious complications.

Moderate elevations should be initially treated by lifestyle changes, diet (especially low carb!) and exercise and quitting smoking are excellent starts, but unfortunately too many will still need medications to keep their BP in healthy ranges.

A few years back they lowered the threshold and I for one was glad they did. Everyone should be monitoring their BP and they should see their doc as soon as they find it elevated. If given meds they must be taken….if you don’t like the reaction, tell your doc for a different one, there are at least a dozen different meds out there and many are very effective with minimal side effects. IMHO the older drugs are much better and safer than the newer ones.

I’m a RN and have seen so many unnecessary damage from ignored high BP. A 65 yr old newly retired man with a devastating stroke, an elderly woman with a fatal stroke, a 53 yr old woman with kidney damage from untreated high BP, a 30 yr old new with a ruptured aneurysm in his brain, and more.

All the screaming about fat and cholesterol and we essentially ignore high BP! A real problem is ignored and a fake one is pushed and promoted. Makes no sense to me. People often do not understand just how dangerous high BP can be!

]]> By: DaveC http://www.marksdailyapple.com/high-blood-pressure/#comment-27762 DaveC Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:06:21 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/high-blood-pressure/#comment-27762 There's probably as much "sodium doesn't affect blood pressure" as there is "cholesterol doesn't cause heart disease" literature out there. Another area where we have to choose between dueling scientist. There’s probably as much “sodium doesn’t affect blood pressure” as there is “cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease” literature out there. Another area where we have to choose between dueling scientist.

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