Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Recommended

[Arlyss]

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_64942.html

This was reported in the press last week. This is something that some aortic disease experts have been recommending for a long time. Just be aware that the values for blood pressure suggested in this article do not take into consideration those with fragile tissue of aortic disease.

Typically physicians have not been monitoring patients blood pressure - they have relied on just the readings taken in the office. This is definitely a step in the right direction, and especially for those with BAVs!

Arlyss

 

[hensylee]

I 100% agree with this and hope everybody in VR will read it and practice it. I have been taking mine on a regular basis for many years and have all the little records to prove it. I can look back years and find what my bp was and compare it today. As the years passed, the numbers have grown even tho I have been on meds for a long time. Recently I left off one of my pills without permission and had far more energy than prior. I asked my pcp if I could leave off one of them but didn't tell her I had already done so - she said no. Then I told my cardio I had left one of them off a few weeks prior; he looked at the measurements just taken by his nurse and said 'certainly, but you take your bp at home?' and I said I do. He said just keep an eye on it at home and make sure it stays in bounds.

We all in VR (well, mostly anyway) are our own advocates and this begs the question: are you paying attention to your bp at home??? DO IT!

 

[Bina]

On my first evening home from hospital my heart was going crazy....my daughters darling BF went to the late night pharmacy and bought me a BP monitor. I have used it regularly since then, it is very reassuring.

 

[Nancy]

I take mine every morning. I have long standing HBP, but it is well controlled. It runs in my family, as do heart problems and strokes, so it is very important for me. So far, so good with any additional HPB related problems.

I also took Joe's every day.

It's an excellent practice.

 

[aussigal]

This is something I do regularly for peace of mind...I should keep a log of the readings which is something I dont typically do.

Is there an article or chart somewhere that gives us BAV'ers a target set of numbers for before and after surgery or is that the 130/80 they refer to for high-risk individuals ?...

Thanks

 

[Arlyss]

The JNC7 study in the US put an important focus on blood pressure and what it means to health and longevity. Here is a link to information about it

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/289.19.2560v1

Even for those who do not have any form of aortic disease, blood pressure below 120 (systolic) has the best statistics in terms of long life and quality of life. I have been told that life insurance companies know this and factor it into their risk assessments when issuing policies.

In fact, even in people with normal aortic tissue, chronic high blood pressure causes thoracic aortic aneurysms to develop in older age.

If it is good for the general population to be below 120 systolic, it is just that much more so for those who have/had abnormal aortic tissue! It is just generally easier on the plumbing everywhere in the body.

Best wishes,
Arlyss

 

[DeWayne]

I wonder which arm they are talking about?

I have a pretty big difference in the pressure from my left to right side.
The right might read 115/70 while the left reads 95/67. No one has ever explained to me why that is lol.

 

[Ana]

I wonder which arm they are talking about?

I have a pretty big difference in the pressure from my left to right side.
The right might read 115/70 while the left reads 95/67. No one has ever explained to me why that is lol.

Next time you are in for an appt, have the nurse take it (manually) from both sides and see if they get the same results.

This might be attributable to your anatomy (if one arm is more developed than the other) and how the automatic cuff sits on each arm.

 

[DeWayne]

Next time you are in for an appt, have the nurse take it (manually) from both sides and see if they get the same results.

This might be attributable to your anatomy (if one arm is more developed than the other) and how the automatic cuff sits on each arm.

They have done that before. and they even have problems finding my pulse in my left arm most the time, and I am left handed! It has always been this way as long as I can remember, prior to the last surgery as well.