High blood pressure anyone?

[Mr_Pot]

Time was that "normal" systolic was 100+your age or lower.

Surely that can't have been right, my blood pressure could be ok up to 174?

 

[Outlier]

Definitely right. Drs would go garrety now if they took that sort of reading. Makes you think.

 

[lucylocket61]

Surely that can't have been right, my blood pressure could be ok up to 174?

Yes, it's the way it was calculated until the mid 1980's at least.

 

[shedges]

I just dropped in here because I'm going through this process myself. And trying to work out what I want. And what I should do. I'm 46, fairly active (mountain bike, ran a half marathon 2 weeks ago, bit of pilates/calisthenics), bang on recommended BMI, and have had type 1 diabetes for 16 years. Diet is average to good (always fresh fruit/veg in the day, mainly fresh cooked, the odd pizza/pie). 3-4 cups of coffee per day. ~20 units alcohol per week.

Since diagnosis my BP has always been around 130/90. Couple of measurements at the doctor over the last year and it's ticked up to 135/95. Hba1c is 63. They have told me that if hba1c and BP haven't come down in three months I'll be going on some kind of anti hypertensive medication.

Based on the above, do I just assume I'll be going onto BP meds at some point and not worry about it, or do I go extreme with diet and lifestyle and try to put it off?

Any type 1s who've been through similar... I'd love to hear your experience.

TIA,
Sam

 

[Hertfordshiremum]

I just dropped in here because I'm going through this process myself. And trying to work out what I want. And what I should do. I'm 46, fairly active (mountain bike, ran a half marathon 2 weeks ago, bit of pilates/calisthenics), bang on recommended BMI, and have had type 1 diabetes for 16 years. Diet is average to good (always fresh fruit/veg in the day, mainly fresh cooked, the odd pizza/pie). 3-4 cups of coffee per day. ~20 units alcohol per week.

Since diagnosis my BP has always been around 130/90. Couple of measurements at the doctor over the last year and it's ticked up to 135/95. Hba1c is 63. They have told me that if hba1c and BP haven't come down in three months I'll be going on some kind of anti hypertensive medication.

Based on the above, do I just assume I'll be going onto BP meds at some point and not worry about it, or do I go extreme with diet and lifestyle and try to put it off?

Any type 1s who've been through similar... I'd love to hear your experience.

TIA,
Sam

Hi I don’t think you would have to make extreme changes to lower your blood pressure back to your previous result. Sounds like you keep yourself pretty healthy Maybe a few changes? Personally I think most medication has some consequences and side effects so if I were you I would try and put that off for a bit. Are they taking your BP at your appointment? Have you had the 24hr monitor at home, could a bit of stress be playing any part when they take the reading? This is your choice. You can always say no or ask to be referred to a dietitian?

 

[EllieM]

Any type 1s who've been through similar... I'd love to hear your experience.

TIA,

I got put on bp meds in my late twenties (diagnosed T1 aged 8) after I'd tried and failed things like cutting salt and quitting caffeine. (Though I now regret not taking up serious exercise, which I delayed till I was nearly 50). I never noticed any side effects (other than to one med which I dropped) and I don't regret taking meds to get the reduction, there are too many long term factors (eyes, heart, kidneys etc) which increase risk for diabetics and aren't helped by high bps.

Recently I've been rethinking the meds in that I currently think I might be running a bit low, so might discuss a reduction with my GP. In the (possible but unlikely) event that I manage to achieve a significant long term reduction in weight, I'm optimistic that the meds will reduce. (They came down when I increased my exercise from sedentary to much more active).

But would be interested in knowing the ideal bp range for T1s. What's too low? What's too high? Should I be taking np in the middle of a gym session or when I wake up in the morning?

And in the UK they absolutely gave me 24 hour bp monitors before giving or changing bp meds. In New Zealand I just tell my GP my home results, though she writes down my surgery ones.

 

[Emck]

I’ve just come out of my pre-consultant appointment bloods, weight, BP etc check (clinic must be running with covid protocols still).

My blood pressure was on the high side (143/87), previously when checked I had been in the pre-high bp category, so it is obviously creeping up.

I think I’m going to ring my gp tomorrow as this probably needs to be monitored.

I’m also going to make a concerted effort to lose some weight and eat less salt. I don’t really drink a lot of caffeine or alcohol but do sleep poorly and suffer from anxiety which can put my heartrate up.

I’m only in my 30s so really want to get this sorted asap!
Does anyone have any idea what counts as “moderate exercise”? I currently walk and do weights sessions. Sort of limited in what I can do due to a hip injury.

 

[aard]

How did I get mine down.

The meds have helped , They brought down from 150-180/100-110 to around 145/90.

I have found only two ways to then reduce to normal values (with meds).

For theSystolic I can get this to around 120 by low carb diet.
For the Distolic only exercise had an effect( and I mean lots , 15-20 hours at 90% rec HR) per week). This got me down to around 80.

As soon as I stopped the above, bp when straight up again.

 

[shedges]

After all that, the surgery has decided no further action required. I'm exercising more again ... seems to go in fits and starts depending on what else I've got going on in my life. I know that's not great, but it's the way it is with family, building work, etc. Anyway, feeling a bit happier now... probably down to the increased exercise as much as anything else. Fingers crossed I can keep moving along the right lines.

 

[filly]

Honestly, went to the Doctors this morning. HbA1c test, so waiting for that. While there they decided to take my blood pressure.
Have been given tablets and was 143/78 this morning. Hate going to the doctors. Can't tolerate the arm cuff.... did it on both arms and with wrist monitor up again to 170/85! Can't believe it. Have to get walker out of the car, not easy. Walk into doctors (with extreme difficulty and then this. Supposed to have surgery in a matter of weeks. Nurse told me to tell hospital to use a normal manual cuff.....I think it will be a miracle if I get this surgery. If I could walk without so much pain it would help. Hence surgery needed as pretty urgent.

 

[EBe66]

Mine is always high when done on one of the "automatic" machines, done with an old fashioned sphygmomanometer and stethoscope, it's well within the normal range, I've just got a weird body

The same here for years now! I always wonder which one is right though... Two different GP's who do the yearly manual measurements always end up with 135/80 the assistant who does my 3 month checkups uses an "automatic" machine and always ends up with something in the 165/90 range...

 

[filly]

The same here for years now! I always wonder which one is right though... Two different GP's who do the yearly manual measurements always end up with 135/80 the assistant who does my 3 month checkups uses an "automatic" machine and always ends up with something in the 165/90 range...

Thanks it is driving me mad

 

[Outlier]

One wonders how often the machines are calibrated.

 

[jenrose]

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure about 2002/3 and ended up taking 3 tablets to control blood pressure. I went on a low fat diet as was put on statin for cholesterol. In 2005 I was diagnosed with diabetes type 2 and changed my diet as I realized the very low fat diet was causing me to eat high carbs and then my blood pressure began to improve and I later went down to two tablets and one of them is half the dose than before so I feel the lower carb diet helped to reduce my blood pressure so there is hope that your blood pressure will go down. I do exercise quite a bit as I have two dogs and do gardening. I have had to eat more carbs recently due to loss of weight from bereavement and stress and my blood pressure is a bit higher than it was and so is my blood glucose readings. I am being monitored by the DN for this.

 

[Robbity]

I found my high blood pressure definitely improved after starting low carbs. Unfortunately it went up again due to high stress levels, but seems to be coming back down a bit now.

 

[suzeetee]

Good morning all! So glad I have read through this thread. I successfully went into “remission” for type 2 back in 2017 by following low carb. More recently my health seems to be all over the place A my last diabetes check up shows still prediabetic (41) but my blood pressure is high and cholesterol 11%. The nurse is telling me to get back into low carb(I have been following but occasionally drop off the wagon) but to have full fat versions of yogurts etc to maintain low carb and sugar. GP has put me on BP tablets and wants me to go onto statin shortly but to follow low fat diet? Feeling conflicted and confused

 

[sue512]

I had high blood pressure before my type 2 diagnosis, never very well controlled despite taking two blood pressure meds. For my diabetes I started eating low carbs. My blood pressure gradually came down as my blood sugars were controlled and losing a shed load of weight as a welcome side effect. I don’t know if it’s the low carbing or weight loss which did it but I have been able to drop one BP med and halve the other one, my BP is now normal.

Edit for clarification.

I’d agree as mine has stabilised since losing weight on low carb regime, I’m off my medication although bp can be a shade above normal. My weight still needs work so hoping for improvement and I’m more active, nothing awful just walking.

 

[cdpm]

I've been taking meds. for high BP
since I was a slim, active, normal
weight teenager.
I'm in my late 50s and still take 3
different ones.
It's still very high so I tend
to think there's a very high genetic
thing going on.
It hasn't responded to lifestyle
changes or meds.

 

[Lainie71]

How high? Mine is always high when taken at the surgery, I have no idea why as I never feel particularly stressed. Today for example (at a diabetes clinic) it was extremely high, got home, tested it the rest of the day and back to what is normal for me which is about 130/85, they always pull a face at that but a previous ambulatory test (where you wear a BP monitor over 24 hours) showed that most of the day and all of the night it was fairly low. I am not overweight and have no other conditions apart from diabetes, I run every day, don't smoke or drink but still sometimes it's high. x

Mine goes off the chart at the surgery - white coat syndrome.

 

[Outlier]

Me too. Strangely, the GP gets agitated about it, but the hospitals seem used to it and don't make a fuss. Fortunately, at the moment the GP accepts readings from my home monitor. Testing in different conditions (hungry, not hungry, just eaten, an hour after food, after exercise, an hour after exercise, and most of all, when I am REALLY ANNOYED, my systolic varies hugely but diastolic and pulse rate remain within acceptable parameters. But then - isn't that why BP elevates in any case - fight/flight equipment?