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Blood pressure

F

fuse

Sapling
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Location
Herefordshire UK
Name
Martin
LOCATION
Uk
Not sure if Im a biological oddity but mine is at the lower end of optimal when completely relaxed but reaches into hypertension when normal service is resumed
Im busy but dont tear around like a loony

After a recent routine checkup where I hit the highscore, I have been given a daily chart to scribble.

Following the monitors instructions and that of the practice nurse to be in a docile state when reads are taken,this will therefore give an unrealistic picture.
What would you do?
 
Hi Martin... mmm! My docs/BP nurses keep telling me I have hypertension... from the readings I collect over a week period and when they've checked me at the check up. I got myself a BP monitor... did daily checks morning (on getting up), mid day and evening...

*speaking personally* - I don't worry about it NOW after I got myself a Samsung Fitbit 3 just under a week ago and watching the readings on that I'm not concerned. Today's range is from 56 to 118... other days have been up to 122 top - doing various things during the day. Presently shows 84bpm...

I stumbled across a video on YouTube about BP in "older generations". You can make your own mind up from it. It makes sense to me - it's something I'll discuss with my doctor etc., next time

 
White coat syndrome can be a factor. My BP shoots up when my doctor measures it, but a 24 hour monitoring device showed no issues. Mine (post serious weight loss) borders on low - to the point where I have fainted a few times in public places, which is less than ideal.
 
I'm on several b.p. meds. I'm a Type 2 diabetic and have had Chronic Kidney Disease, Stage 3a....so, I keep a wary eye on b.p., stats, meds and diet.
From this, I have a healthy scepticism toward 'smart watch' diagnostics. Mine regularly misrepresents saturation and pressures - as compared to fingernail capillary bed monitors and conventional sphygmanometers.
That said, they provide a "ballpark" figure.
White coat syndrome is a real thing. I'm not highly influenced by it, but a dear friend is. People vary.
Your b.p. is a notoriously fickle thing. Resting, calmly, to have it done is everything. Mine starts at about 150/80, but descends to 130/80 with mindfulness and focusing on nothing.
Time of day and meal times can catch you out too.Try upon wakening versus just before sitting down for lunch. Don't dial 999, in panic at the contrast,just chill and repeat 5 mins later.
 
Accipiter said:
I stumbled across a video on YouTube about BP in "older generations". You can make your own mind up from it. It makes sense to me - it's something I'll discuss with my doctor etc., next time
Click to expand...
I'm becoming a cynic about the validity of experts on YouTube, especially in the medical field. This new channel (created in April 2026) looks and sounds like an AI creation. I couldn't find any mention a cardiologist named Dr. Jason Collins after a quick Internet search.
 
Mike said:
I'm becoming a cynic about the validity of experts on YouTube, especially in the medical field. This new channel (created in April 2026) looks and sounds like an AI creation. I couldn't find any mention a cardiologist named Dr. Jason Collins after a quick Internet search.
Click to expand...
I'm also cynical Mike... and not surprised nothing found for this 'doctor' 😉. AI - little doubt but I can go with the *idea* it covers... One reason I said 'make your own mind up' - from the content mentioning BP in older folk.

Years ago I got put on BP meds after some readings. If anything, they appeared to have a negative effect: example; walk ½ mile to a local diy store (Homebase)... find something on the bottom shelf, crouch down to pick it up, stand up and go as dizzy as Fk. Id have to crouch back down, wait about a minute ot two before then, SLOWLY, stand up. Never fainted but... Reported to the docs reduced strength - little difference. I learned not to crouch/rise quickly. The doc/nurses made me become almost obsessed over my 'high' BP readings...

A few years back I had (still have) prostate issues. After a scan I was put on Tamulosin. As I was still on Losarten (Losartan sp?) for the BP I was told to take the Tamulosin at night because of the affect/effect it has on BP. Eventually my doc/BP nurses reduced the BP meds until I wasn't taking any and just the Tamulosin. Side affects of that, changed to Taddiifel and Finistride... Even now, BP checks nurses say 'high BP" BUT I no longer get the dizziness episodes, never fainted etc.,etc.

I'm also somewhat sceptical about the accuracy of such readings etc., on 'smart watches' but the readings it records have started to ease my concerns.
 
I used to be sceptical and though I've had my smartwatch for a couple of years or so only used it as a watch and ignored everything else until as I said in another thread it buzzed to say my pulse had been below 40 for over 10 minutes. When it happened again my wife, an ex nurse took my pulse and yep, low and erratic, Daughter in Law, a nurse practitionor confirmed it and I ended up with the GP who checked my watch readings against his stethoscope readings and they matched so off to hospital for an ECG and confirmed A-Fib.

Both the GP and the hospital told me they take smart watch readings very seriously indeed and are catching more people with issues early because of them. Mine is such a case and unlikely to have been picked up until perhaps a blood clot caused serious damage or death.

Not a panacea or substitute for proper medical observations but as a general guide to your own patterns my mind is definitely made up. I wear my watch to bed at night these days as it might wake me up if I'm dying. :ROFLMAO:
 
John Brown said:
Having said that, I suppose that sometimes a trend could be significant, even if the absolute value is inaccurate.
Click to expand...
But surely that assumes that all readings are accurate and all the time. Bit like having a dodgy tyre pressure meter.
 
RogerS said:
Spot on, John. You beat me to it. There is no way a watch...no matter how smart...can provide an accurate BP reading
Click to expand...
The only way an an accurate BP reading can be obtained is with a cuff; a 'smart' watch of any sort just gives you an indication of a trend. I have high BP which is being monitored by my doc with a change of medication of some sort coming shortly. Apparently, BP gets more difficult to control as you age but your body also develops some immunity to long term medication; hence the anticipated change.

When doing a series of tests over a week (three times a day), it's the second reading that should be recorded, 10mins between each and you need to sit quietly for that time and read your Kindle...or similar.

I've also (at SWIMBO's suggestion) started to drink a daily dose (250ml) of organic Beetroot Juice which isn't quite so disgusting as it sounds provided it's well chilled in the fridge. It's worth doing a swift Google search to see the long term benefits, which are considerable. My doc also knows and sees no objection.

FWIW, low and very low BP are of more concern than high BP - Rob
 
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I love beetroot juice, but I seem to remember that I stopped drinking it, as it showed up in my periodic blood tests, and had my GP wanting to increase the dose of something or other... Sorry to be so vague! Did it increase my potassium levels, maybe?
 
I've also heard people claim that their Apple watch can produce a full ECG. Is does make you wonder why they go to all the bother of sticking about a dozen electrodes on you, when Apple can do it all with a watch.
However, I do believe that the Apple watch and its lookalikes can catch early warning signs.
 
Woodbloke said:
…...

When doing a series of tests over a week (three times a day), it's the second reading that should be recorded, 10mins between each and you need to sit quietly for that time and read your Kindle...or similar.
Click to expand...
Do you have the reference for that statement Rob?
 
Tried to edit and it disappeared. Trackpad playing up
 
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PS: Rog, when doctor asks for BP update, she wants three done 5 mins apart and wants the lowest.
 
AJB Temple said:
.😇

I think as we age we mustn't allow ourselves to be obese or overweight. .....
Click to expand...
Or even as children. With the current focus on the weather and high temperatures, there's been a fair bit of archive material footage of beaches over the past decades. The most significant change is that nearly everyone is fat now. Children as well. No excuses TBH.
 
AJB Temple said:
PS: Rog, when doctor asks for BP update, she wants three done 5 mins apart and wants the lowest.
Click to expand...
I keep a general interest in my BP readings but am not fanatical about it since they fluctuate throughout the day and night. As long as they are broadly within the 'healthy' range then I'm happy. I'm on Felodipine 5mg. It's a slow-release. After a while I noticed that come the evening and during the night through to early morning, BP was not controlled. So to this layman, seemed to me that the 5mg was 'running out of puff' come the evening. Managed to persuade my GP to let me have another 5mg in the evening ....although Felodopine is not licensed for that...and now seems OK-ish.

We briefly talked about Apple watches as health monitoring. My research suggests that they are only OK for things that are easy to measure such as pulse. Not accurate for BP. Not accurate for blood oxygen levels. Not accurate for detecting sleep apnoea. Not accurate for an ECG
 
John Brown said:
Pulse, absolutely. Blood pressure, sceptical.
Click to expand...
I agree as I still cant see how a watch worn so the sensor on the back is on top of your wrist can be accurate but I can assure you that my run of the mill Hauwei GT3 pro is pretty damn close to the Omron BP machine I have. Every few months I take a week's worth of readings as advised by my GP. My Omron was checked against a practice machine 2 years ago so not callibrated but at least a comparison.
None of the machines are 100% accurate anyway which is why many of the GPs and nurses in our practice are using the old fashioned stethoscope again.
My BP can be up and down like a yoyo even within half an hour and multiple readings and that's the case at the GPs as well as they usually take 3 readings. I do have white coat syndrome which doesn't help.

My opinion is that whether accurate or not a watch can highlight changes in patterns which is probably more important than a few individual readings and as with pulse readings you can see averages over a day or a week so surely of some interest.

3 years ago I was fitted with a BP monitor by the hospital, worst thing I ever did. It took a reading every 30 minutes during the day and 60 minutes at night. I didn't get any sleep as anticipated the bloody thing going off so my readings were off the chart and I threw it back at them after 2 days. :ROFLMAO:

It isn't just Apple watches that can take an ECG (of sorts). Again it's just indacitive but the ECGs from my watch via the 'phone app showed the same pattern of irregular heartbeat as the hospital machine and warned of possible A-Fib which was confirmed. On my first GP visit I had printed off an ECG and the doc certainly took it seriously.

ECG.png
 
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RogerS said:
......We briefly talked about Apple watches as health monitoring. My research suggests that they are only OK for things that are easy to measure such as pulse. Not accurate for BP. Not accurate for blood oxygen levels. Not accurate for detecting sleep apnoea. Not accurate for an ECG
Click to expand...

Indications and patterns Roger. If they were 100% accurate there would ne no need for nurses and GPs to do the tests and you'd possibly just order recommended meds on line via your watch app. Maybe in the future but not in my lifetime. :ROFLMAO:
 
RogerS said:
I'm on Felodipine 5mg. It's a slow-release. After a while I noticed that come the evening and during the night through to early morning, BP was not controlled. So to this layman, seemed to me that the 5mg was 'running out of puff' come the evening. Managed to persuade my GP to let me have another 5mg in the evening ....although Felodopine is not licensed for that...and now seems OK-ish.
Click to expand...

I'm on 10mg of that stuff plus two other meds...and BP is still higher than it should be - Rob
 
RogerS said:
Sorry to hear that, Rob. Must be the stress of all that woodworking :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
I've always had very high BP which is why I'm looking forward to a change of meds (I suspect) as I've been on the current ones for at least a decade or probably much longer. That said, when the doc texted me a few days ago, he asked me to make a 'routine' appointment (mid July) so although it needs some looking at, it's not classified as medically 'urgent'- Rob
 
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Ive now taken plenty of readings from a vegetative state and they are all in the " optimal" band.
So ,not content with this unusually good news - I was previously capable of lighting the machine up like a Christmas tree-,Ive decided to take it to work with me to see what difference that makes.
A test run this morning - Tesco shopping followed by vision Express who took four hundred quid off me and told me I have cateracts.
Yikes.


123/79.
Wtf? (as the kids say)
 
fuse said:
Ive now taken plenty of readings from a vegetative state and they are all in the " optimal" band.
So ,not content with this unusually good news - I was previously capable of lighting the machine up like a Christmas tree-,Ive decided to take it to work with me to see what difference that makes.
A test run this morning - Tesco shopping followed by vision Express who took four hundred quid off me and told me I have cateracts.
Yikes.


123/79.
Wtf? (as the kids say)
Click to expand...
Not wishing to rain on your parade but what was the ambient temperature when you took that reading? Were you in an air conditioned office or in a sweaty workshop? Temperature at these levels really helps get the BP down.
 
RogerS said:
Temperature at these levels really helps get the BP down.
Click to expand...

Hmmmmmmm.....blood vessels dilate to flush hot blood up to the skin's surface to cool you. By definition, more available 'area' for blood to pass through, equals lower pressure. Simple human physiology. It neglects to balance an apparently benevolent measurement with the damage caused by heat stress. Stay cool Roger; your enzymes will never forgive you, otherwise....:cool:
 
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