My blood pressure was 142/99 today the dr told me the top # was great but the bottom # was bad and they wanted

Question

to put me on an additional blood pressure medicine to "target" just the bottom #. Is this reliable information?

Answer 1

I'd try to lose weight and keep salt intake in check..hopefully they checked your BP more than once to come up with that number. Sometimes the excitement of going to the dr causes elevated BP. If it's that high, you should treat it, you are at risk for a stroke and organ damage if the numbers stay that high. good luck!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers — the systolic pressure (top number) over the diastolic pressure (bottom number). The systolic pressure is the pressure of blood in the vessels when the heart contracts. Diastolic pressure is the pressure of the blood between heartbeats, when the heart is at rest and is refilling. According to the most recent guidelines issued in 2003 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI):

Optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg.
Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or greater, or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or greater.
As recently as 1997, physicians relied on diastolic blood pressure to diagnose hypertension and assess cardiovascular risks in patients of all ages. However, major clinical studies (including the Framingham Heart Study, the Cardiovascular Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES III]), have produced a major shift in the national recommendations for diagnosing and treating hypertension. The findings in these studies focus more attention on the importance of systolic blood pressure as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, especially for people over 50 years old.

Answer 4

Yes. You need to have additional medication to reduce your blood pressure. The bottom number is way too high and and high blood pressure can damage some of your internal organs.
I used to work as an R.N. but I don't remember at what number the top # is considered to be high enough to treat.

If you don't trust your doctor for reliable information, I would suggest getting a second opinion from another doctor instead of Yahoo Answers. You can never trust anonymous lay people to give sound medical advice.

Answer 5

Trust what your physician told you. The systolic number (upper) should be around 120, however, this is not the number that most physician's consider a problem. The diastolic number (lower) must be maintained at 80 or lower. The diastolic number messures how much pressure your veins and aorties are able to maintain for flow. Anything above 90 can cause a possible heart attack. My wife has the same problem and takes lisinopril for the lower number.

Answer 6

Interesting all the comments here analysing the numbers but nobody stops to think what the CAUSE might be or how to prevent such HBP. I'm not a doctor obviously, but I think your blood could be rather thick or else why would your BP be high during the heart's retraction & relaxation phase? Do try to drink 2 or 3 litres of water per day (I know it's extreme) for a week or two and see if it improves after that. Also, cut down on salt. Hopefully it gets better.

Answer 7

3 years ago, I was diagnosed - hypertension with a reading of 160/100. I used to feel dizzy a lot, my legs had awful cramps, and levels were very low in my potassium, causing my fingers and toes to always cramp together. One day I started to feel really faint while I was driving with my daughter in the back seat and I passed out, hitting 3 cars and ending up in a ditch. That moment,I knew I had to do something because my meds weren't working. I heard about this diet from a friend and thought I'd give it a shot. The results have been remarkable. In just 21 days, I honestly can't remember feeling this good, my blood pressure went from 175/110 to 125/70.

Answer 8

A normal blood pressure is 120/80, so to me both numbers may have been a little bit high....of course that depends on your height and weight, as far as giving you a medicine specifically to lower the diastolic (lower number) ive never heard of it.......to me they would just give you a med. to lower both, it also depends on what your highest recorded blood pressure has been..? But if it was a doctor im sure they knew what they were talking about.......
**i know i wasnt much help** sry

Answer 9

If this is just a 1 time reading, I would probably wait and check my own blood pressure in the Walmart or local drug store. 1 elevated blood pressure reading does not mean you are always hypertensive. Re check it on your own a couple times and take the readings to your physician to decide how to proceed. You could have just been having "white coat hypertension" meaning your blood pressure elevates when you go to the doctor.

Answer 10

No, get a second opinion. While your bottom number is high, your top number is as well. 120-130 is now considered normal, 130-140 is considered high, and over 140 is very high. Look at any blood pressure machine and you will see the tables.