Do you know what your blood pressure is?

[mamahill]

I went in for my annual exam yesterday and they took my blood pressure. It was 120/80 and I asked the nurse, "Isn't that normal?" and she said, "Well, it's a little higher than normal." WHAT?! She said it used to be anything under 140/90 was considered ok, but now "they" have dropped it to 115/75. I don't know a lot about blood pressure, but how hard is it to drop 5 of each. I will admit that I'm a little of this particular nurse - I don't really trust her. But I love my doctor and she didn't say anything about it. I forgot to ask because I was too busy getting probed;).

[mik8]

Sarah, I'll try to answer this as best as I can being a surgical and cardiac RN. It's difficult to define normal BP because it is highly reliant on size, sex, age hereditary factors, and other variable factors relating to normal metabolism in an adult. The American Heart Assoc. says normal systolic (upper #)is at or below 130 and for diastolic is < 85. Optimal is 120/80. However, IF you are a small, petite person and a highly active runner or have an active lifestyle and normally or "regularly" runs 100/60's then 120/80 maybe an upper norm for you.
Look at your trend in the past. Do you usually have this reading or at least within 20 mm/hg close to it? If so, I think you're fine. Am I making sense? :)

edited to add: nervousness, time of the day taken (pm a little higher than am) and stress can also raise it up.

[mamahill]

Thanks - that does make sense. I'm not small - I'm almost 5'6" and weighed in yesterday at 135. I don't run, but I work out (weights/aerobics) and do yoga. I was just surprised that she said it was a little high. I wasn't sure what she meant - like what the span usually was. Sometimes 5 whatevers in medecine is a big deal, and sometimes not. Does that make sense?

Oh, and FWIW, my resting heart rate (usually) is around 55-60, but for some reason at the doctor it never gets below 65. So who knows what my blood pressure really is. When I was pregnant I was always late (on time, but good luck finding a parking space) and I'd go running in there and they'd take my blood pressure (while I was practically sweating) and then say, "It's a little high." *gasp* *sigh* Can I have a minute to collect myself? No, we have other patients. Okaaaaay.

Mostly, thank you for answering my question!

edited to add: So did the American Heart Association really "change" the numbers? Oh, and I'm almost 28 and high blood pressure runs on one side of my family, and low blood pressure on the other. LOL, glad my parents got together ;).

[mik8]

Don't know if AHA changed numbers but even if they did, I wouldn't sweat about anything right around 130/80 mm/hg or below "unless" there's a medical reason or etiology. In our unit (cardiac) the cardiologists "normally" are not concern if the change is within the 20 mm/hg range and one is healthy. Your resting heart rate is great! I know a lot of heavy runners ran 40/bpm. Would you believe that? And that's norm for them...

You're fine, Sarah. :)

edited to add (again): a lot of BP machines are not calibrated regularly. :D

[mamahill]

Yeah, I think a lot of the Tour de France guys are the same way. I remember hearing that Miguel Indourain (winner several years ago) had a rhr of 28. I couldn't believe it - amazing!

[Annette_C]

Sarah,
Mine has always been on the low side (because of 20 yrs of aerobics and watching my weight). My usual is 90/60. It stayed low during pregnancy too and my OB was happy about it (I was a high risk patient due to my age).
I think yours is fine!!
Annette
Annette
SAHM to Sabrina 6/24/02

[COElizabeth]

The nurse is right that the guidelines (as established by someone, not sure which organization) recently did change, and now a whole bunch of people who used to be considered to have normal blood pressure are now considered more borderline. But blood pressure can fluctuate dramatically. I know mine can drop 20 points easily in the span of less than 5 minutes. I have a bit of a tendency toward "white-coat hypertension," and if I don't like whoever is taking my pressure, it can skyrocket. And then if they have to take it again, watch out, it goes up even more! However, if I take it one of those machines at the store and see that it's relatively normal, I will relax and then take it again two minutes later, and it can drop 20 points. It's crazy. FWIW, the diastolic number (the bottom one) is generally considered the more important measure. I think it's less likely to vary wildly depending on stress and activity level (though mine still varies).

I really wouldn't worry about a pressure of 120/80, but if you used to have a lower pressure (and the nurse meant it's higher than *your* 'normal"), and it goes higher, you might talk to your doctor about whether you should be concerned enough to try to lose a few pounds (I doubt you'd be given medication unless it went significantly higher). Don't worry, though. Mine's lower right now, but there have been lots of times when I was thrilled to get 120/80!

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02