Is a 158/101 blood pressure a serious problem?

[Reciprocity]

I have been trying to get a handle on this by diet and exercise. For the most part I keep it under 135/90. That said it does creep up from time to time.

[NEOBuckeye]

1. It ain't good...

Do what you can to get it down as soon as possible.

[MissMillie]

2. 90 is borderline

and if it stays borderline for any length of time (6 months to a year-ish) you may be put on meds.

[oneighty]

3. Serious?

See your doctor. He/she will give you the advice you really need.

180

[SmileyBoy]

4. See your doctor and ask him/her about meds you can take.

It looks like you might need to take some hypertension/blood pressure medications.

If you're dieting and excersizing, I'd recommend getting more help from meds.

My blood pressure was around that level two years ago (I was only 20!!), but it turned out one of the meds I was taking was causing it. I switched my meds, now my BP is down to an average of 130/80.

[sir_captain]

5. You should go see your doctor

and likely need to go on blood pressure medication pronto. Even 135/90 is rather too high. I'm a clinical researcher in a NIH study on heart disease and if one of our patients came in with a systolic like yours, we'd consider sending them to the emergency room, honestly. Diet and excercise are obviously a super important part of a healthy lifestyle, but there is no shame in getting a little pharmacological assistance as well...

[Reciprocity]

6. Thanks guys.

I have been to my Dr and convinced her to let me try and get it down with-out medication. I keep a close watch on it. The thing is since the heat has set in I have not been walking like I should. I just took it again and its 134/96. Thanks again.

FYI
I found this interesting and have been trying to keep to it.

The Kidneys regulate blood pressure. First thing to do is to stop the things that will cause blood pressure to escalate. Caffeine is a big no, no. Excess phosphorus is another. You have to have 1 part calcium to 2 parts phosphorus for kidney health, so watch your intakes of those 2 things. If you eat a lot of meat and dairy, you are consuming a lot of phosphorus. Add to that any sodas and you are putting enormous strain on your kidneys and may be causing your hypertension.

Salt does not cause hypertension, but it can cause you to retain fluid which can again put added strain on your kidneys. If your kidneys are not functioning as well as they are supposed to, you can see where this can cause you problems.

Smoking causes vaso-constriction of blood vessels. When you reduce the size of the blood vessels, then the heart has to work harder to pump blood through them and the pressure goes up.

Then pay attention to over the counter medications that you may be taking. One of the hardest on your kidneys is Advil/Ibuprophen. One or 2 Advil every once in a while is no big deal, but if you take them daily, you are causing great strain on your kidneys.

The point is that if you have hypertension, it is quite possible that you have decreased kidney health. Concentrate on making your kidneys healthy and your heart healthy and you should find a remarkable change in your blood pressure.

[slutticus]

19. Why don't you want to try meds?

Sometimes diet and exercise aren't enough..(OH GOD....I sound like one of those commercials!!!!)

But seriously.....they've really helped some friends of mine.

[NC_Nurse]

7. Recommended highs have been

lowered to 130/80. I would talk with my doctor.

101 is definitely high for a a diastolic reading, usually the diastolic (bottom number) is regarded as the more concerning if it is off.

Check with your doc.

[medeak]

9. good info here

indeed diastolic is more serious... indicative of disease process going on..101 is much too high

[jukes]

8. Excellent thread

much useful information. thanks, all!

[Reciprocity]

10. Good news today its back to normal. 135/89

.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. That's borderline normal

You should keep a blood pressure diary for the next 30 days. Take your BP in the AM and afternoon and keep it logged. If readings are consistently over 140 or over 90, then by definition you are hypertensive. It's best to manage it medically (with antihypertensives) even temporarily than run the risk of stroke, heart attack or sudden death...


also BP rises during physical exertion which means even borderline high can be dangerous under exertion. I'd make an appointment with the doc since it went up and keep a daily diary until then.

Medication is preferable to stroke and all the ancillary ills that follow it.

[sir_captain]

14. Honestly

that's really still kind of too high. You really want to be consistently below 120/80, and recently, even that standard has been considered a bit high.

Is there a specific reason that you don't want to take meds? Even something as simple as water pills might be able to help you...

[Lisa]

11. that "101" is kind of high ...

Was it a slamming day at your workplace, or something?

I used to be in the low 90s, myself -- since I cut down my salt intake (no table salt, and I avoid processed foods as much as possible since they're frequently loaded), and get some exercise every day (even a short walk can help!) -- I usually score in the 80s now. Good luck!

[supernova]

12. The bottom # is too high

See your doc. Normal is about 140/70. I'm about 110/60.

[sir_captain]

15. 140 is really too high

120/80 is the standard, though recently, it has been recommended to even lower these to the 115/75-110/70 range.

[Snow]

16. Geez, remember the days when we called 160/100 hypertensive?

Didn't know what we were talking about back then, did we?

[sir_captain]

17. Heh

it's more an art than a science, right? ;-)

[Lisa]

18. Most of us crack 160/100 ...

... when we see a clip of George W. Bush on the evening news. (170/110 if he's smirking!)

[sir_captain]

20. No question

it's amazing how much one's BP can change based on nearly anything. For it to be accurate, you really have to sit quietly with feet flat on floor for a good 5 minutes or so.