Young hypertension at the age of 27.. Extremely depressed
Posted , 6 users are following.
I was diagnosed with high blood pressure few months ago. I have not started taking medications yet. I was asked to carry out few tests and all of them turned out to be normal except marginally high cholesterol levels and grade II fatty liver. My weight is 75 kg and height 5' 9". Everytime I vist the doctor my bp levels are high. It varys from 140/90 to 170/100. But when I monitor the bp at home from bp monitors, most of the time it is normal, most of the time it is well below 130/80. Average is around 120/70. Bp monitor is 'OMRON HEM-8712'. I used to be a football player at high school and university and this is the last health problem I expected in my life. Doctor asked me to do exercises but I'm too depressed to involve in exercises even. Please help.
0 likes, 23 replies
rocky31676 steve89872
Posted
No need to be depressed and do your exercises.
steve89872 rocky31676
Posted
rocky31676 steve89872
Posted
Thats too much of a difference 170/100 to (127/77 and to 118/71).
The ones in bracket above may happen due to non-calibration of equipment.
However, the first one for 170/100 you took at Doctor's Office may indicate your white-coat hypertension.?
steve89872 rocky31676
Posted
Yes. I'm going to get an 24 hour ambulatory bp test done just to get a more clear view of what's going on. Right now the bp is consistently around 120/70 according to my bp monitor.
lily65668 steve89872
Posted
Sounds more and more like white coat syndrome, Steve. Be warned, though, that the 24-hour monitor might produce the same thing. People like you, who are unnecessarily nervous about their BP, tend to fly into a panic every time they feel the cuff inflating!
By all means try the 24-hour monitoring, but if it produces a different result from your own home readings, go with the latter. After all, you've calibrated your monitor against your doctor's so you know it's correct.
BP medications are a necessary evil for those who have genuine hypertension, but they're bad news for those who don't.
steve89872 lily65668
Posted
lily65668 steve89872
Posted
OMG Steve - I wish I could have results like yours! The bottom line is they're perfect. Pulse, BP and pulse pressure all well within normal ranges throughout the day and night. Pulse pressure (PP on one of the charts) is the difference between the systolic (upper) and diastolic (lower) BP readings.
The only thing I can't really comment on is the atherogenic index of 0.35 at the bottom of the first sheet. Basically it refers to the ratio of "good" HDL cholesterol to total lipids in your blood in comparison with others of your age and gender, since this is thought to be a predictor of cardiovascular disease. The reason I can't comment is I don't know what scale it's on. For example, I just looked up my last blood results and I see my AI is 3.01, with the normal range being 2.6-4.44. (So at least I'm OK there!) Different countries use different scales, and indeed different units of measurement for the various blood components. You need to ask your doctor about this one.
rocky31676 lily65668
Posted
So your right.... your scale is different
Steve, yours at 0.35 is on the upper limit.
The BP maximum value at 154 is what stands out
steve89872 lily65668
Posted
Lilly and Rocky,
Thanks a lot guys. I wouldn't have got done a 24 hour ABP if it weren't for your advises. I'm kinda relieved now.
Lilly, I think the AI shown in my report is on log scale, if it converted into normal scale, my value would be 2.3 which is below the normal range. Last time I checked my cholesterol levels, they were marginally high. But the HDL levels were ok. Since then I have given up junk food and moved into a more vegitarion diet. I think I should get another lipid profile test done soon.
Rocky, the highest BP values in the lot which is 154/89 was the first reading taken when the physician fixed the ABP monitor on me. So since he was watching while it was being taken, I was nervous. I think that maybe the cause for that.
lily65668 steve89872
Posted
Wow - if your AI is on the same scale as mine you really are doing well! I wouldn't worry too much about overall high cholesterol levels. My total cholesterol is well over the limit, as is my LDL, but because my HDL is very high my doctor wouldn't hear of putting me on statins.
Unfortunately that's not true of all doctors/countries. A British friend of mine, a retired nurse, says she's never even seen the breakdown of her cholesterol levels, and she doesn't think they test for anything other than tht total. It seems that over there, they just slap everyone on statins as soon as their total goes over the limit!
Now get on and enjoy the rest of your life!
lily65668 steve89872
Posted
Steve, you need to pull yourself out of the depression and start exercising. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to control high BP. You don't have to work out in the gym or play sports - though that's good too if you feel like doing it. An hour's brisk walking four or five times a week is just as good. Ditto cycling and swimming.
Sounds like you might have the well-known "white coat syndrome". Can you ask to have the 24-hour monitor test? You do this at home with equipment they lend you. It gives a better idea of what your BP is really doing.
steve89872 lily65668
Posted
I took my bp montor at the doctors office and compared his readings and readings from my bp monitor. They were all the same and way too high. Doctors' readings were 170/100 and readings of my bp monitor were 169/101. I came back from the doctor's and took readings at home and it was 127/77. After an hour or so it even came down to 118/71.
Anyway I'm going to get a 24 hour bp test done tomorrow just to be sure.
judep57 steve89872
Posted
lyn1951 steve89872
Posted
High BP at Dr's office, white coat fever, or fear of Dr's, not unusual, I'm afraid.
Your Omron, I have one, and occasionally get it checked by comparing it to another BP machine on the other arm, and if they both come back with the same reading you know your own one is operating correctly, use a brand new one at the chemist.
Last time we had some really weird readings the hospital scoffed, until they used their own expensive machine and that came back with same readings, then they hit the red emergency button, up till then they did not believe the reading my Omron was recording.
My comment at the end did not go down particulalry well, thanks for calibrating my little Omron, I didn't care for their attitude when i presented my Omron at the desk, not interested in the readings It had recorded, and husband in real trouble at the emergency dept, and them taking no notice, reluctant to triage him, told to sit down and wait to be seen.
steve89872 lyn1951
Posted
I came back form doctor and then checked my bp with my bp monitor and the reading was 127/77. After an hour or so it gave 118/71.
Should I be worried?
lily65668 steve89872
Posted
Probably not, Steve. What I'd advise is to check your BP at home a couple of times a day for a few weeks (but without obsessing about it). Most people advise taking two or three readings in a row, a few minutes apart, staying seated between them, and then working out the average.
Why not do that, say, morning and evening for a while, and maybe chart the results? There's clearly nothing wrong with your monitor if it gave the identical result to your doctor's, so this really does look like white coat syndrome. It would be a shame to go on BP meds if you didn't need them. If, on the other hand, your BP at home shows up consistently high at certain times of day, then you'll know you need to go back to the doctor.