Should a 55 year old man be on high blood pressure? my blood pressure is 130 over 80 doctors office
Iam a long distance runner, I do not smoke or drink. my weight is 155 pounds. I do have high anxiety not all the time. I get very nervous when I go to see the doctor.
Hello cello h,
That is not an impressively high blood pressure (hypertension in medical lingo). And let me congratulate you on your healthy lifestyle choices!
130/80 is technically pre-hypertension, and some physician would not treat it with medication. However, one elevated BP does not mean a person has hypertension; several elevated measures over separate visits are required to make the diagnosis.
There is a phenomenon called "white coat hypertension" or the "white coat effect" where patients who tend to be anxious, especially during medical examinations, have an elevation in blood pressure while in the doctor's office.
To see if this is the case with you (because, certainly, a thin, long-distance runner is less likely to be hypertensive), I would suggest you invest in an automatic home blood pressure cuff and take your pressure on your own. Record it at least three times a day for a month and then take those readings to your physician. Then discuss with her whether or not you need to be on medication.
I would NOT stop taking your blood pressure medication without your doctor knowing. Many blood pressure medications are prescribed for diagnoses other than high blood pressure!
To your health,
Neil MD
- Thank you for your input
- Ranked Helpful (4)
- Report Abuse
