Q: I am a 76 year old male and my BP is 138/60. Is the diastolic too low to take any medicine for the high systolic?
A: Your measurement puts you in the group known as “prehypertension”. This group does not need treatment with drugs. If your systolic pressure gets higher, your doctor may want to start drug therapy. Your doctor will just start treatment slowly because of your diastolic pressure. In the meantime, talk to your doctor about appropriate life style changes and using the Resperate.
Further Reading:
What is RESPeRATE?
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Dr. Rowena:
Are you sure your a real doctor ? Well, your not very well informed, are you ? If the person with the diastolic pressure of 60 were to go on medications, they would lower their diastolic pressure to a dangerously low level. The risk factor for diastolic pressure is a J shaped cure, with risk increasing below 70, and definitely increasing below 60. The concern about systolic pressures in the 140 range is really contrived to sell more blood pressure medication. The person writing would likely be healthier if the diastolic was high, as perfusion of tissues with oxygen would be better driven by more pressure gradient.
I read that the difference between the two readings was very important. if it wasa greater than 50, it was of concern no matter what level the blood pressures were at. In the case of the 76 year old man, the difference is 78 which, according to some doctors requires treatment. Would Dr. Rowena comment please or does she not read these things.
I have readings of 145/60–Doc keeps giving me more and more blood pressure medicine. I bought Resperate and wrote my results–120/38–very light headed. Resperate following lowers pulse considerablly. However, I did not get an answer to my question. Then I got gobs of e-mails asking shy I wasn’t keeping reperate informad–what for?
John, I have no wish to be offensive, but please learn the difference between “your” (possessive) and “you’re,” a contraction of “you are.” This is pretty basic English.
Wow what a mouth for a “real doctor” glad I am not your patient. Wow, do react that way to all patients or those seeking help? Why not copy your paper hanging on a wall and show us all? I am sure with some of your answers, it is debatable.
I read this column however if this is the type of language I will be subjected to, I think it is very unprofessional. Why stoop to such comments you should have rise above that. OMG
We apologize for the user commenting under the name Roe. That is a person who comes to our site practically on a weekly basis to contribute nothing but vulgarity to an otherwise serious topic. This person’s comments are always deleted immediately, and never approved so that no one can be subjected to their nonsense. For some reason this particular comment made it past the approval process. The comment is deleted, and we will be making extra effort to be sure that none of this person’s comments make it to our board again.
Thank you, John, Michaele, and Dr. Rowena. Reading your posts really made my day! I just can’t stop laughing!
how stupid to even discuss putting this person on meds. That is a great bp reading and not a problem at all. Also, could it really have been Dr Rowena responding with such vile language? I don’t think it was.
No it was not. It is a person pretending to be Dr Rowena. We have had an issue with this person attempting to post comments as her for over a year now, and they have always been deleted. Somehow this one made it through, but has now been taken down.
To those that make such insulting comments; any doctor or vet, should operate on your jugular. If you watch the site; better you keep your trap shut
Whoever, is the un-informed person regarding your own BP issues is obvious. (Get some wise help). If your diastolic is too low, the Doctor is correct. I have the same issue. I need to take my own Blood Pressure before taking medication. My Primary Care Pyhsican discuss my Health issues with language that might seems alarming to others. Get a grip and deal with the New Health Care System. Be your own advocate, and deal with our Broken System. Why do you think we are searching for our own answers on the Internet. God Bless and take care of yor self.
We apologize for the user commenting under the name Roe. That is a person who comes to our site practically on a weekly basis to contribute nothing but vulgarity to an otherwise serious topic. This person’s comments are always deleted immediately, and never approved so that no one can be subjected to their nonsense. For some reason this particular comment made it past the approval process. The comment is deleted, and we will be making extra effort to be sure that none of this person’s comments make it to our board again.
John Wagner seems to be being a bit castigated for his style. Yet, what he says has more merit than what Dr. Rowena has to say. It is unfortunate, and a disservice to Resperate users, that they consistently get the “disbenefit” of the “good doctor’s” “recommendations”.
Just keepin’ it real……
I have to disagree with D. Carestia. John Wagner’s comments about meds do not address the issue. The doctor does not suggest meds for the patient, yet John writes as if that is a suggestion. This is not a matter of style, it is a matter of fact. The idea that concern about BP over 140 is contrived does not make sense to me. Having seen family members struck down by strokes shows me that we do not have enough concern about this issue.
Perhaps you missed some of what the “good doctor” said, Scott…….she can’t seem to help herself as she theorizes that in the future “your doctor may want to start drug therapy”.
Respectfully, and not in the normal sense, this “good doctor” is addicted to drugs just like almost all the rest of the AMA.
By the way, who has BP consistently over 140 in this scenario?!?!?
While your family may have a genetic predisposition to stroke, that is not something you need to project onto everyone with blood pressure at or under healthy levels……I have known many people with blood pressure above 140 most of their adult lives, and now into old age, and they still have not had a stroke. And yet, that doesn’t really mean anything either in the larger sense, now does it.
Do homocysteine levels, or c-reactive protein levels matter at all to you in assessing cardiovascular and stroke risks? How about the level of anti-oxidants on board for a specific individual? Vitamin D levels in the blood? Platelet count??
All the best to you!
Mona,your job is killing you! I know peploe want to find another alternative to blood pressure meds but until you can control it constantly don’t leave yourself with those high numbers! The raisins may work and if they do keep it up because a few calories is nothing compared to what i went through last year I’m lucky to be alive now. On the other note, (Celtic Sea Salt)will reduce blood pressure and if you don’t believe it then research it. I use it and it works the opposite of the processed salt that’s been killing us all these years! It’s all natural and from the shores of France check it out
looks to me as if this whole comment thing is a farce..just who IS giving these answers some lame excuses seems to be coming in here
D.Cariestia needs to stop being the rabid dog.
I don’t have a problem with Dr Rowena’s response. The difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure in that particular patient is very high, hence her suggestion that ‘if’ drug treatment would be started it would have to be slowly. I guess it is to prevent the diastolic pressure falling too low.
As Guy Mineault above suggested, if the difference (the pulse pressure) between systolic and diastolic is greater than 50 than there is something wrong somewhere and it may need to be investigated.
I too belong to the people who do not like to take medication (of any kind), but I acknowledge that there are times when medication is needed.
And you will note she said “if” it gets higher and the doctor will probably want to start slower, if the doc feels it is even needed. I don’t have a problem with her answer because heart failure can also be a result of high blood pressure. We see too much CHF where I work. Why not be proactive.