Lowering Blood Pressure (pre-hypertension) help?

[mtomom]

I found out last tonight that my husband signed me up for a health goal suggested by his insurance to lower my blood pressure within the next 90 days.

 

I have pre-hypertension (tonight I was 128 over 81), not high pressure, so actual blood pressure meds aren't an option.

 

I have a family history of high blood pressure and strokes. So I would like to tackle this for my health. However, being told I have to do it in 90 days is likely increasing it! :crying: 

 

Does anyone have ideas for working on this? Supplements that work? I'm in a normal weight for height but am definitely sedentary. I tried to walk this evening and outdoor stuff in the winter cold is just not going to happen for me. Maybe I can figure out something indoor, but 90 days may not be enough time for exercise to work anyway?

[Annie G]

We switched to a gym that has an indoor track but before that we walked at big box stores. Truly, they don't mind at all.  Dh and I walked together or I'd walk alone and listen to a podcast on my phone.  I preferred to go at off times because if it's busy I couldn't walk fast enough.  I really liked walking at Menard's which is like a Home Depot. They have a LOT of space in the aisles, unlike Walmart.   It really relaxed me. 

 

 

[AnnE-girl]

I second the exercise recommendation. Can you get a walking DVD? It sounds silly, but Leslie Sansone (I think that's her name) has videos for walking a mile or two in your living room. Or some other low impact exercise video you can do until the weather gets better?

 

My dad has been on BP meds for at least a decade (he had a heart attack several years ago too), but it will still start spiking again if he's not exercising. It doesn't take long for the exercise to start helping if he's been sedentary for a while either.

[BooksandBoys]

If you drink regularly, stopping could help. I think the last study I read suggested something like each daily drink is associated with a 2 point increase in BP.

[Barb_]

If you drink regularly, stopping could help. I think the last study I read suggested something like each daily drink is associated with a 2 point increase in BP.

Modest drinking lowers blood pressure. Binge drinking can temporarily raise it. My cardiologist and my nephrologist encourage me to drink 1-2 glasses of wine a night if I desire.

[Barb_]

OP, if this is something you don't want to do, just say no. I would be annoyed if my husband signed me up for something like that without clearing it with me first. I'm sure his heart was in the right place, but it's your body and your decision. You should work on this if you want to, but don't feel pressured to do it in 90 days. That seems unreasonable.

[BooksandBoys]

Modest drinking lowers blood pressure. Binge drinking can temporarily raise it. My cardiologist and my nephrologist encourage me to drink 1-2 glasses of wine a night if I desire.

I should have been more specific. Yes, 1 drink a day for women, up to 2 for men does slightly lower BP. More than that causes the increases in BP. It doesn't require full binge drinking (generally considered 4+ drinks in a sitting) to increase BP.

 

Edited to add that I'm sorry I can't find the link.

Edited February 13, 2016 by BooksandBoys

[Laurie4b]

Are you sure you have prehypertension? BP fluctuates quite a bit even over a couple minutes. Taking your bp with a full bladder, talking while taking it, etc. can raise it. You have to be sitting still for 5 minutes to get an accurate reading as well. Additionally, docs want a few readings in a row at the same level before they will make a diagnosis. Do you monitor at home? If not, you could also have white coat syndrome where your bp goes up with being nervous because the doctor is taking it.  

 

Your systolic would only need to come down 9 points to be normal (that is not hard) and your diastolic 2 points to be in the normal range. 

 

Since you are a normal weight and your bp is really pretty good, I would check into the DASH diet (it's the official diet for lowering bp. Research based. Works well.) There are specific foods that can lower bp. Garlic is one. Watermelon is another, but the DASH diet will give you all the potassium, magnesium, etc. that you need to keep your bp optimal.  Exercise. Since you don't want to walk in the cold, you need to find something else to do. You need to exercise to be healthy even if you didn't have bp issues. Exercise affects mood, risk of cancer, risk of heart disease, bone health, cognitive capacity, etc. etc. Get enough sleep. Handle stress.

 

Don't waste your money on supplements. Since they are not regulated, you really don't even know what's in them.  Eat good food instead. 

 

Good luck!

Edited February 13, 2016 by Laurie4b

[Annie G]

OP, do you eat a lot of processed food? If so, changing your diet might lower your salt intake enough to make a difference. 

 

I hope you can avoid letting a 90 day deadline stress you out. If in 90 days you've started walking and maybe made some diet changes, you might see a drop in your blood pressure. You'll know you're on the right track.   

[gardenmom5]

yoga is VERY good for this.  it's more than just the relaxation element, but it completely changes how the body responds to stress.  

 

here's a link for 77 (proven) health benefits of yoga.  http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/24/77-surprising-health-benefits-of-yoga/

 

#1 - blood pressure. Blood pressure. A consistent yoga practice decreases blood pressure through better circulation and oxygenation of the body. T  can help lower blood pressure.

 

the links are broken - but here are some for lowering blood pressure.

http://www.yogajournal.com/category/poses/yoga-by-benefit/high-blood-pressure/

 

Edited February 13, 2016 by gardenmom5

[Joyofsixreboot]

DASH diet-easy and doable.

[Erica in OR]

You might look into deep breathing / abdominal breathing exercises. They were suggested to a friend by her doctor as part of her overall treatment.

 

Erica in OR

[Sun]

This may be unpopular, but here goes. I know you said you're at a healthy weight, but if you're on the upper half of your height's healthy range and don't have a large frame and lots of muscle, you might get some benefit from losing a little bit anyway, especially if you put weight on your midsection. A quick google search pulled up lots of references to the effects of weight and blood pressure. If you're already on the lower end of your healthy range, then that's obviously not going to be something you could do, but I thought I'd mention it because I know that when I lost weight from the top part of my height's healthy range to the bottom part, my blood pressure dropped by about ten points.

 

 

[mtomom]

Thank you all. I think this gives me some ideas.

I think sedentary stuff is probably my biggest issue, though I could probably benefit with better diet as well. We're not terrible, but I need more fruits and vegetables.

 

I'm sure I'm actually pre-hypertension. They caught it in a health plan required well check about a year ago. I really thought it was due to the conditions at the time, but I have followed up on my parent's blood pressure cuff multiple times over the past year and I'm consistently in the high 120's on the top number. The lower number sometimes bumps slightly above 80 pretty frequently too. Tonight I was 129/84. So the writing is really on the wall with blood pressure for me given my family history. I really need to do something, but I haven't. So in some ways I'm glad he agreed to their challenge. I should have acted a year ago.

 

I am going to look into the breathing, indoor exercise videos, DASH, and yoga. I've got family history of alcoholism, so avoid it altogether.

 

Thanks to all of you. This is worth a try even if I don't make it in 90 days. The sedentary stuff really needs to change anyway. I feel like I've become a bit of a slug.

Edited February 14, 2016 by mtomom

[Cynful]

I'm on meds, but making sure I either eat or take a good supplement of magnesium, potassium and calcium makes a huge difference for me.  Enough that I would be on 3 meds instead of just 2 if I didn't take them.  I've also had some pretty good results from Olive Leaf Extract and Celery Seed Extract.