Q: I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. I live at the altitude of 7000 ft. I didn’t have high blood pressure when I lived at sea-level. When I go and visit now my blood pressure is 112/72 or so but my pulse seems to go up in the 70’s. Is this unusual?
A: A pulse of 70 is in the normal range for a resting adult. This rate is not unusual. The climate in lower altitudes is usually warmer and more humid. As a normal response to heat and humidity, the heart pumps faster to keep the body cool. A higher temperature at a lower altitude could cause a faster pulse.
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But you didn’t answer the question regarding whether altitude can affect bp. I too live at over 7000ft with high bp. At sea level it seems to drop. Could altitude be a factor?
I’m amazed–and disappointed– that you would go to all this trouble to have a question and answer website and then not answer the question? The answer didn’t answer the question of whether altitude would cause a blook-pressure hike. Why would anyone continue to use this website? Certainly a one-time click.
I’m interested in this question too, as we also live at 7000 ft and have only developed high blood pressure since we moved here 5 years ago. (However, I realize we’re also 5 years older.) You answered the question about the pulse rate but not the issue of the effect of altitude on bp.
We used to live at 8600 ft. and I had high blood pressure. Whenever going to a low altitude, my BP dropped. Three years ago we moved to 1200 ft. and I no longer have to take any BP meds. I know altitude affects your blood pressure.
I experienced lower bp when moving fron Albuquerqe NM to the Oregon coast. My mom still lives there and has very high BP and has had strokes and heart attacks. I am afraid to go back and visit as I also take a med for anxiety % panick attacks including 3 bp meds.
Haven’t you noticed this “doctor” “beats around the bush”, and never really gets to the real answer, she just goes all around the questions. Most of the answers are common sense to some of these, such as “of course you get off your meds slowly, there are also so many resons why bp changes throughout the day and when situations change, why can’t she just get to the answer, everything is talk to your doctor, what is this womans purpose? there are many other sites available, search them out folks.
Yes, Frustratingly, this doctor does beat around the bush and does not always answer the question asked. I don’t know if someone else is answering under her name, or if she does not know and won’t find the answer. Resperate hires her to promote their product and making it look like they are answering our blood pressure questions. The company should expect more from their resident doctor and provide real service to their customers, not just a shill to make it look like they are doing more than just selling Resperate to help those of us with hypertension. Her BS answers are a waste of Resperate’s advertising budget. It would be preferable to not even provide this “doctor” question and answer ruse if they are not really going to provide complete responses. Apparently, she gets paid whether she answers the question or not.
I moved to Santa Fe, NM 3-1/2 years ago. We are at 7000 ft. here. Since moving here, from El Paso, TX, which is at 3800 ft., I have now been put on BP medication due to high BP! I always had below normal BP’s all my life. I DO believe the altitude has plenty to do with your BP.
I am now considering moving to the Pacific Northwest, which is at sea level. I hope I have much lower BP to look forward to with that move and possibly getting OFF the expensive BP medications!
Yes, without a doubt high elevation can cause high blood pressure. I live at sea level. In 2008 I got a summer job in the mountains. I worked and lived between 7000 and 10000 feet. Cabin was at 8500. During that first summer, there were two, I had been eating lots of walnuts, half a cup a day or more to lower cholesterol. I was trying to prove my doctor right or wrong. He said they would help. They did nothing for my cholesterol but they DID lower my blood pressure! I was completely off my generic Zestril when I got to the mountains. After a short time I started back on a minimum dose of the zestril. 10 mg. just to stay near 120-80. That worked all summer. The following summer 2009 I was back as before. Had stopped the walnuts months before. Two weeks after my arrival I checked my BP and it was 190-110. I went to 80mg of Zestril and started on an additional low dose of another BP medication given me by a doctor nearby. Within two weeks from then I was back down to 40mg zestril generic and stayed there all summer. Once back at sea level after summer was over I was back at 10mg. Zestril. Lesson learned and I promise this is accurate, for me, walnuts lower my BP. Elevation raises my BP, a lot. By the way, the nice lady doctor I saw that second summer said she had recently attended two hikers who had elevation sickness at 10,000 feet and one had died!! True Story.
My BP went from high normal to dangerously high when I moved from Los Angeles to Parker, CO at 6000 ft. I also had altitude illness when I arrived. I think its all related to hypoxia or lack of oxygen at altitude. When I went back to sea level I was gradually weaned off medication.
Doc! Read the question carefully and then make sure you answer it. The writer didn’t inquire about BP levels at LOW altitutes; the question was about BP at HIGH altitudes. So inquiring minds want to know: what’s the answer to the question that was asked?
Does anybody know of a source for devices that measure barometric pressure and blood pressure, and displays them on two different gauges? Respirate might know of a product designed to take these two and calibrate them accordingly? That is, by measuring one against the other?