Hello and thank you for submitting your question.

Your question is a very good one and I will work on providing you with some information and recommendations regarding your blood pressure.

As you probably know maintaining a healthy weight is one of the key factors involved in making sure that your blood pressure remains in an optimal range. I am not extremely concerned that your blood pressure is at a XXXXXXX level at this point but I still think there can be some changes that you can focus on to help optimize your blood pressure.

Your systolic blood pressure is absolutely fine. I see no problem with having the number in the range that you currently have reported. The diastolic number at 88 is mildly elevated. I would prefer to see that number between 60 and 75.

In order to achieve these goals a few things may be considered The first consideration would be some weight loss. If you can somehow work on lowering your BMI I am certain this will have a beneficial effect on your blood pressure. In addition I would recommend that you've thoroughly assess your diet to make sure you minimize any excessive consumption of foods which have high amounts of sodium. Many frozen and canned foods have extremely high sodium content.

The final recommendation would be regular aerobic exercise. If you can perform this type of exercise three or four days per week for 45 minutes or one hour we'll have a long-term beneficial impact and will certainly improve your blood pressure numbers.

Again I am not concerned that you're dealing with a dangerously high blood pressure. I applaud your efforts to have your blood pressure assessed in order to optimize your long-term health. With a few minor lifestyle adjustments I think you can achieve those goals.

I thank you again for submitting your question. I hope you found my response to be helpful and informative. If you have additional concerns I would be happy to address them here.

Sincerely,

Dr Robert

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