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How To Ascertain Whether I Have Hypertension?
Age 71, weight 160# height 5'8; my systolic ranges from 130 to 145, occasionally 150, usually 135-145. Diastolic usually around 70-75. Where I live there seems to be some medical difference of opinion whether this is hypertensive or not. I am checking 3 times a day (three trials each time). One physician recommends medication, but I am unsure.
Mon, 19 Oct 2015
Greetings! Thank you for your question and welcome to HCM. I understand your concern.
I am going to try to address your issue with my opinion and standpoint on it. Normal blood pressure figures standardized for the worldwide population are as follows: 100-139 mmHg systolic and 60-89 mmHg. I would not refer to your condition as hypertension, but, combining with your age of 71 years old, my opinion is that medical treatment with one blood pressure-lowering agent would be recommended. The aim at your age would be to keep these figures under 135/85 mmHg constant, and avoid any possible end-organ damage by long-standing figures above the ones I provided. Also, most of agents used to lower the blood pressure are safe, with low rate of side effects and effective. You should consult your treating doctor about the precise agent that should be installed in your treatment, but my opinion is that it should be from the class of beta-blockers or verapamil or diltiazem from the calcium-channel blockers. These agents, besides lowering the blood pressure, also have effect on the heart rate, which promotes the heart's efficiency, by reducing its workload. This is my opinion and my recommendation. The choice is always yours.
Wish you a good health and I hope I was helpful.
Kind regards,
Dr. Meriton
I am going to try to address your issue with my opinion and standpoint on it. Normal blood pressure figures standardized for the worldwide population are as follows: 100-139 mmHg systolic and 60-89 mmHg. I would not refer to your condition as hypertension, but, combining with your age of 71 years old, my opinion is that medical treatment with one blood pressure-lowering agent would be recommended. The aim at your age would be to keep these figures under 135/85 mmHg constant, and avoid any possible end-organ damage by long-standing figures above the ones I provided. Also, most of agents used to lower the blood pressure are safe, with low rate of side effects and effective. You should consult your treating doctor about the precise agent that should be installed in your treatment, but my opinion is that it should be from the class of beta-blockers or verapamil or diltiazem from the calcium-channel blockers. These agents, besides lowering the blood pressure, also have effect on the heart rate, which promotes the heart's efficiency, by reducing its workload. This is my opinion and my recommendation. The choice is always yours.
Wish you a good health and I hope I was helpful.
Kind regards,
Dr. Meriton
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