I just got an electric BP monitor for myself. My measurements say 138/87 which according to the web is prehypertension. My question is (for those doctors and nurses) will obesity cause higher BP regardless if you're exercising? I've been exercising and losing for over a year but still have these numbers. Will they go down to more normal numbers once I lose another 100 lbs?

Concerned, Dan

Dan,
Have you been monitoring your sodium intake? Sometimes even seemingly healthy foods are brimming with sodium. My blood pressure has been consistently highly (phase 2 hypertension), but my doctor always told me I was still in the position to change that if I lost some weight and had a more active lifestyle. I've only lost 11 pounds since the last time I saw my doctor, but I've been on a very strict diet these past couple of days. My sodium intake has been pretty low and now my blood pressure is relatively normal (126/81). I'm hoping as the weight comes off, my blood pressure will stay in this range or lower, especially since I have a predisposition for hypertension due to family history of the "silent killer."

If you have been watching your sodium intake and doing everything else you can do to combat the high blood pressure, then you should talk to your doctor and get their professional opinion and advice.

Good luck. Let me know how it goes. We can battle high blood pressure together!!!

I am not a doctor, so please take the following as my own personal experience only.

I was in the same fix -- 7 years of weight lifting, and my cholesterol and BP were still a mess.

What worked for me was laying off coffee, drastically reducing my dietary sodium intake, and dropping supplements like creatine and NO2 (often laced with caffeine) that boosted my BP. Cardio was also key -- running lowered my BP, rest heart rate, and cholesterol. Weight lifting and weight loss will only go so far if you have genetic predispositions like I do.

Even so, the best I can get seems to be 120/77, down from 140/80. Lisinopril or hydrochlorothiazide lowered it by the same amount, without me resorting to cardio or dietary changes (I've since gone off those meds). For a time, I was on the beta blocker Inderal (propanolol) for migraines, which had a side effect of lowering my BP to 115/72, but I've also gone off of that because of the dizziness, cold hands/feet, and weight gain (I suspect due to induced metabolism changes). Since I resumed serious lifting, my migraines have not returned.

Do you also get wildly fluctuating readings? I can't figure mine out -- I can get 148/80, 122/77, and 117/73 all within minutes (this was roughly 30 minutes after a 1.5 hour lifting and cardio workout). I can get lower numbers by doing meditative breathing exercises to relax myself, but I wonder if I should be doing that or just reporting the higher numbers -- since I don't usually go through the day in a Zen trance to begin with.

I'm not sure Itadaki. Isn't there like an optimal time when you can take your pressure for consistent readings? I'm not sure if taking it after a workout, no matter how long after, is the best idea. But I'm by no means an expert!

This is a little random, but may help you understand normal fluctuations in your blood pressure.

My mom is a nurse and used me as a guinea pig to prove her point. She was correct.

Your blood pressure and heart rate are somewhat interdependent. WHEN RESTING: When your heart rate is lower, your blood pressure increases. When your heart rate is higher, your blood pressure decreases.

She has noticed this phenomenon since she first started taking blood pressure readings. She will sometimes sees a fairly large fluctuation in blood pressure accompanied by a change in heart rate. So, for her to truly determine if someone's blood pressure is higher or lower than normal, she tries to compare the heart rate at the time of the readings.

Being overweight can certainly cause problems with your BP, but you should consult a doctor as well because there can be other causes that should be looked into.

My BP just recently became elevated (142/102), after being on the low normal side all my life (even as recent as early December it was 119/78). I don't generally add salt to anything and don't really eat anything that is high in Sodium, but have been obese all my life. So, hopefully losing the weight will get me off the meds!

Thanks everybody... I had a manual pump and release monitor (20 bux at CVS) but switched to an electric one two days ago.

Do any of you use Omron electronic monitors at home? I also was informed that I may need to purchase a "big" cuff for my arm. The thing barely fits around my bicep due to the fat...ehem, muscle.

DJ

The size of the cuff definitely makes a difference. I've taken BPs on the same person with two different cuffs and had wildly different readings.

I've been battling my BP for a couple years now and finally gave in to meds a few months ago. Losing weight and exercise didn't help me, unfortunately. I just have bad BP genes.

The right size cuff is apparently critical to an accurate reading. I donate blood frequently and they always start with the reg size cuff, decide it's a little too small and move to the bigger cuff. You should probably wait a little longer after your workouts as well since that also seems to be a factor in accuracy. Good luck!

I would say being overweight definitely has an effect. I've always had wonderful and consistent blood pressure, like 118/74 every time I was measured when I was younger. I used to like to show off at those free readers at Wal-Mart. Last summer I did it, expecting to get another good score and it was 136/85! I never ever had a score like that. I confirmed it with my doctor. That's what motivated me to really lose the extra weight. 4 months later I was measured for a life insurance policy and measured 116/68. I'm convinced it was all the extra fat.