#407

An interesting dose/response curve for exercise to blood pressure reduction…

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Source: x.com

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#408

A study published in JAMA Open Network found that if a person’s systolic blood pressure hovers 10 points above the 120 mmHg threshold over a sustained period of time, that person’s risk for ischemic stroke is 20% higher and the chances of an intracerebral hemorrhage climbs by 31%.

“We focused on systolic blood pressure because it is the strongest predictor of cardiovascular outcomes, particularly stroke but also heart attack,” said Dr. Deborah Levine, a professor of medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, a senior author of the study, which analyzed data from more than 38,000 U.S. adults over an average span of 21 years.

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#409

Interesting numbers. In Europe, 120-130 mmHg are considered as “normal”, whereas 110-120 as “optimal”. Obviously, “normality” looks differently.

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#410

The European Society of Cardiology will publish its updated hypertension guidelines. I hope they’ll follow the Americans and lower the hypertension threshold to 130 mmHg…

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#411

Just a few weeks ago my blood pressure was sitting around 140/90 and I thought maybe rapamycin has something to do with it. Anyway ever since then, I have been to the sauna and spa everyday… about 30mins total each time, usually 20mins spa and 10mins sauna. I still find the sauna a bit hot. Anyway, my blood pressure last measure 98/67, probably the lowest I have ever seen. Maybe the time of the day has something to do with it, I am not sure. I also started taking 20mg of tadafil every monday morning, weekly.

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#412

Best to measure it at the same time each day. That avoids circadian style variations.

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#413

What is a good monitor to buy? I have only been getting checked at the doctor.

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#414

There are quite a few available but I like the Omron blood pressure units. They have a nice app that is free and makes it easy to track over time.

One other I’m considering is the Withings BPM Connect as I already have the Withings Body Cardio scale so it might be nice to have both products from the same company

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#415

I stopped my normal supplements and prescriptions during my holiday and my SBP has risen from 106-129 to 135-145. I guess my supplements do a great job for SBP.

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#416

Guess I am fortunate in th BP department. I’m at 100/60 using only daily tadalifil and fish oil that probably thins the blood some.

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#417

I have noticed, measuring my BP and wife +son, that as all other bio parameters, this one is subject to sometimes wide variations. Even as there are peaks in blood glucose, there are evidently in BP, under standardized conditions (sitting on a chair with arms on a table). The important thing is not to take such peaks as representative of the average values. Trivial take home, it’s best to take multiple measurements across the day, after the single at awakening.
I recently bought the cited Omron device, which I found excellent for measurements

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#418

I would agree with @Steve_Combi that Omron seem quite reliable. They are quite widely available and not expensive. (around GBP23)

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#419

I wonder if there any compounds that have these benefits that don’t lower blood pressure?

#420

I found this interesting when looking into the pressure differences between arms.

Single-arm measurements, compared to double-arm measurements, may underestimate the prevalence of hypertension. However, if double-arm measurements are unavailable, right arm is preferred for measurement of BP, especially in women.

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#421

That is interesting. I take multiple BP readings, testing both arms as well as multiples on each arm, different times of day, etc. I rarely get exactly the same reading twice but they are usually pretty close. Like most people I prefer to use the healthiest figures after eliminating outliers.
The study says (and I agree) that the right arm is usually higher than the left and multiple readings tend to trend down in the first few measurements. But I usually record the lower figures and the study says you should use the higher figures - so the 1st right arm test (if it’s not an outlier). Why? Does anyone have more insight on this? Why is the higher test the best health measure?

“Overall hypertension was defined as elevated blood pressure (SBP/DBP ≥140/90 mmHg) at the arm with higher value”

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#422

Anatomically the vessels that supply each arm each come off the right and left subclavian arteries. The arch of the aorta is where the vessels come off, and the first vessel off the aorta (closest to the heart) is the brachiocephalic artery which then gives rise to the right subclavian which then heads into the axillary artery down the right arm. The Left subclavian comes off later from the aorta as the arch continues to the left side of the body and gives rise to the left axillary artery - so further from the heart where we’d expect there to have been a little drop in pressure.

That has been the explanation that makes sense to most of us.

The difference however should be minor, as in <10 mmHg. More major differences may indicate vascular disease or some stenosis of a vessel. However, my left arm measures higher, often by 10+ than my right and I have no vascular disease or anatomic reason for this … may just have more vascular tone in that side? Overall, I just take an average of the 2 sides or just measure on my worst one.

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#423

Thanks, so if anatomically the right arm has the most direct route to the heart, and the left arm pressure may be decreased slightly by distance or route, why, if the left arm pressure is inexplicably higher (as in your case) would that be the blood pressure figures to use as a health measure? I don’t understand the - always use the higher arm - rule.

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#424

My left arm measures a bit higher too although less than 10 points.

#425

It’s always possible that my right subclavian or axillary artery is smaller diameter as just normal anatomic variant or under different amount of tone via nerves and baroreceptors. I know I don’t have any area of stenosis or coarctation of my aorta (as I’ve had this area imaged).

The reason to go with the highest BP is that you know that your central blood pressure is at least that high - and we want to make treatment decisions based upon the pressure that all the organs are seeing. Given that you can’t have a pressure higher in your arm than in the aorta (it’s only going to decrease as it gets further from the heart with your being supine) I’d go with the highest I get for treatment decisions. But give the error in measuring devices - if you look at good ones, like Omron - still often 5-10% error … so I feel fine about just averaging a couple.

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#426

It says that interview was from 2017. But as far as I can tell, it hasn’t changed since then (?).