Which Blood Pressure Reading to Belive?

[JohnWF]

I have been monitoring my BP 4x/day, and note that its always higher in the morning, and lowest in the evening. Which to believe?

Should I average all 4 readings? Perhaps throw out the highest and the lowest and average the two remaining?

Which one should I believe? I have been averaging all 4 readings and they run in the mid 120's .... I am in my eighties.

Now flying LSA

 

[JOhnH]

Believe all of them. Assuming your machine is working they are all correct.
If your BP is high in the morning then your blood pressure is HIGH in the morning and you and your doctor need to develop a plan to address that.

 

[flyingron]

There is very much a diurnal cycle to BP. Almost everybody exhibits the higher in the morning effect to some extent. Same thing goes for IOP's by the way.

BP is not an exact science. Frankly, a lot of it is the technique of the person taking the BP. The bad (or good depending on your point of view) thing is that almost all the procedural errors end up causing HIGHER than actual readings. In thirty years of taking and having taken BP's, I've only ever seen an MD do it properly once and other providers are hit and miss about 50% of the time.

 

[X3 Skier]

BP is not an exact science. Frankly, a lot of it is the technique of the person taking the BP. The bad (or good depending on your point of view) thing is that almost all the procedural errors end up causing HIGHER than actual readings. In thirty years of taking and having taken BP's, I've only ever seen an MD do it properly once and other providers are hit and miss about 50% of the time.

There used to be a nurse in my family Doctor's office who would take my BP. Every time the Doc would come in, see the reading, say that's not right, retake my BP, and sure enough, it is 10-20 points lower. No clue if that's why she is no longer there but the new nurse's reading is close to the Doc's and every other reading I have at other places like the blood bank and AME.

Cheers

 

[steingar]

Trust most in the high one, especially if its high day after day. That means that your cardiovascular system is destroying itself on a daily basis if its dangerously high.

 

[JohnWF]

After doing a LOT of reading on this subject I have decided to take my BP once each day at the same time, taking three readings, each 1-minute apart and averaging them. This way I can see if there is a trend toward lowering it without trying to wrestle with readings taken at different times of the day.

I have also concluded that BP readings are an inexact science with so many variables that errors in conclusions are not only possible but rather probable.

 

[Scrabo]

I read somewhere you should take a reading from both arms about 2 mins apart, as opposed to just using the one. I think that was on Dr Oz'w website or something

Also we reference this site for tips on lowering BP

http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/medicine/blood-pressure.htm

 

[Old Geek]

There is very much a diurnal cycle to BP. Almost everybody exhibits the higher in the morning effect to some extent. Same thing goes for IOP's by the way.

BP is not an exact science. Frankly, a lot of it is the technique of the person taking the BP. The bad (or good depending on your point of view) thing is that almost all the procedural errors end up causing HIGHER than actual readings. In thirty years of taking and having taken BP's, I've only ever seen an MD do it properly once and other providers are hit and miss about 50% of the time.

This. I went in to the doctor for some trivial thing and the nurse runs in, wraps the cuff around my arm and starts pumping. I told her that if she wants my BP, she will have to do it right. I'll sit quietly on a chair with a back (not the exam table) for 10 minutes and then she will take my BP with my arm supported and the cuff at the level of my heart. She did it and didn't complain. Makes a big difference.

 

[flyingron]

There used to be a nurse in my family Doctor's office who would take my BP.

How good looking was the old nurse?

 

[flyingron]

After doing a LOT of reading on this subject I have decided to take my BP once each day at the same time, taking three readings, each 1-minute apart and averaging them. This way I can see if there is a trend toward lowering it without trying to wrestle with readings taken at different times of the day.

Unfortunately using the same arm in rapid succession is one of the things you don't want to do. Do you not find the readings increase with the attempts?

 

[JOhnH]

After doing a LOT of reading on this subject I have decided to take my BP once each day at the same time, taking three readings, each 1-minute apart and averaging them. This way I can see if there is a trend toward lowering it without trying to wrestle with readings taken at different times of the day.

I have also concluded that BP readings are an inexact science with so many variables that errors in conclusions are not only possible but rather probable.

If you only take your BP once a day, you should take it at the time it is normally highest. High BP is damaging so if you only take readings when it is normally low you will be kidding yourself.

And I have found that if you take your BP from the same arm in succession, each reading will be a little lower than the last. Again, you will be kidding yourself that your BP is lower than it is. This is not a contest to find out low you can make it look. You are trying to find out if you have a condition that can lead to your early death.

 

[X3 Skier]

HBP is usually so easy to treat, no sense in trying to fool yourself. Weight loss, exercise, Lisonpril, nothing really difficult in most cases.

Cheers

 

[steingar]

If you only take your BP once a day, you should take it at the time it is normally highest. High BP is damaging so if you only take readings when it is normally low you will be kidding yourself.

This. If there is a time of day when its highest, it will be doing damage. You need to know this. I take mine after my moderate daily exercise, when it's likely to be highest.

 

[JOhnH]

This. If there is a time of day when its highest, it will be doing damage. You need to know this. I take mine after my moderate daily exercise, when it's likely to be highest.

Then I surmise your exercise is mainly weight and resistance based, which seems to raise mine too. When I do mostly aerobics, my BP drops. Is that normal or do I have a problem? I really haven't discussed that with my doctor yet, but I have an appointment Monday, and I will.

 

[steingar]

Then I surmise your exercise is mainly weight and resistance based, which seems to raise mine too. When I do mostly aerobics, my BP drops. Is that normal or do I have a problem? I really haven't discussed that with my doctor yet, but I have an appointment Monday, and I will.

Mine is walking, which I do 6 miles a day. Aerobics can indeed drop BP, since it can involve vasodilation to get oxygen to the anaerobic tissues. It is the high BP about which you need to be aware and concerned. I am about mine.