Blood pressure

Nipsmum - while I do believe we have a good GP practice and are very lucky when I hear some stories it is not uncommon to have these stand alone monitors in GP Surgeries, Health Centres and Hospitals.

I would suggest you google it if you are not familiar. Also, as a nurse I find it surprising that you don't know about them. I would suggest that you are pro active and speak to your practice manager about them.

I would also hazard a guess that many surgeries have them in the waiting room unbeknown to the vast majority of patients. As Sussexborn says there is a lack of communication.

I became aware of the monitor only by chance when I entered a very full waiting room and had to sit at the back, therefore noticed people using it and checked it out.

I have also been asked to use it when I have received a letter from the surgery for a monitoring check up. Indeed I recall one time an elderly gentleman asking where it was as he'd been asked to use it before seeing the nurse. I talked him through it and he was absolutely amazed by it.

Gransnetters have a good look round your waiting room next time.

I've been having a lot of blood pressure checks recently, and now on beta blockers. This has brought the BP down to 103/76 at the last count. I'd rather it was a bit too low rather than too high.

The head nurse at hospital told me the lower reading should be under 100 and the higher figure 100 + your age roughly when mine read 177 over 70 I was told that’s fine for my age
I was also told it was the bottom number that’s important

In the Times yesterday there was a report that those taking BP tablets have less chance of developing Dementia as the tablets increase the blood flow to the body including the brain and helps prevent parts of the brain dying as it were. I hope this is true as I have recently started BP tablets and go for a 4 week check up tomorrow to see if I need to increase the dose from 5mg.

Albangirl let's hope so some good news for us on bp tablets for life!
BlueBelle they used to give us those figures of 100 + age when I was a young girl in the '60s, is it back in fashion? If it is I won't have to worry too much trying to keep mine under 140!

Several years ago my BP was high at the surgery but the readings taken over 24 hours with a monitor were absolutely normal. Only snag was the nurse fitted it through the shoulder of my vest so I had to cut my vest off at bedtime

Bluebell run run as fast as you can from that nurse - was this recently? She is dangerously wrong, wrong, wrong. NICE updated its guidance this year ( not that they ever gave the garbage she spouted) and depending on various factors, blood pressure over 140/90 ( and for some groups over 130/80 ) is to be regarded as high.

Yes it was last week suziewoozie and I m not running anywhere
I have always known the bottom number is the one to worry about and mine was 70 (not 80 or 90 as you quoted) and I m perfectly healthy and well and happy with the state of my health so will go by the hospital s advice which was that my bp was fine for my age

Bluebell it’s simply not true that the bottom figure is the one to worry about - I’m sorry but that can’t be allowed to stand unchallenged. Hypertension is known as the silent killer for good reason. 170/70 is high and that adding 100 to your age is just wrong and I hope nobody reading this believes your post.

From NHS website

From a legitimate source - debunks the 100 plus your age myth and explains the importance of the systolic ( higher) figure

www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/FAQs/Bloodpressurenumbers

Albangirl I think it depends which medication is used. They have different ways to bring the BP down. Some relax the blood vessels while others make the heart beat gentler etc. I don't think they would have equal effect on the brain.

I read recently that some research shows that the diastolic could be important too. That low diastolic could indicate heart problems. A bit worrying for me!

Nonnie both figures matter but BB is wrong to say the lower one is the more important one. As a general rule it’s accepted that the higher one is the more important.

suzie I didn't suggest the lower one was 'more important'. If you read my post again I was suggesting that it could be important.

Check the NICE guidance

Sorry Nonnie I didn’t mean my post to suggest that the lower figure didn’t matter. I just wanted to be absolutely clear that the lower figure is not the important one and that therefore the higher figure wasn’t relevant. A higher figure of 170 is concerning as the charts I’ve posted show. It’s well known that not all clinical staff are as on the ball as they should be.

Sorry suzie I could have been clearer! Much harder to give the right impression on here than face to face.

The systolic blood pressure of 148 mm Hg is slightly higher. But there is no need to panic. Just monitor your blood pressure for few days. If it is consistently higher, you may require to take blood pressure lowering medicines. Consult your physician regarding the same.