What is the Universal (or most widely used) blood pressure measuring standard? 

 

the lowest #'s possible sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies.

 

140/80 was the normal for years and years prior .........

8 hours ago, NickyLouie said:

the lowest #'s possible sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies.

 

140/80 was the normal for years and years prior .........

Agree 100% - the current 'recommended' levels are all way too low. They are all compromised by massive pharma 'investments' made in the thousands of billions of dollars heart related pill taking business. 

13 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

They are all compromised by massive pharma 'investments' made in the thousands of billions of dollars heart related pill taking business. 

You notice there is never a cure discovered - for anything? Only treatments that commercially-backed 'science' always advance - and in doing so become more expensive. The politicians are in this up to their neck to keep it that way too, bankrolled by big pharma. RFK's ditching of research into mRNA work - especially for cancer - is yet another example of this relationship. No money to be made in cures.

11 hours ago, ravip said:

 

What is the Universal (or most widely used) blood pressure measuring standard? 

 

There is no "universal" standard. Public health authorities &  experts in different countries use different ones.

 

But differences among these arr not great.  The main differnce is how BPs with systolic in 130 - 139 range and diastolic in 85-89 range are classified : "high normal" vs  "pre-hypertension" vs "Stage 1 hypertension".

 

Choice of cut iff is not immune to financial considerations especially since the number of people in such borderline categories is quite large.  At that level of hypertension/pre-hypertension, unless there are other risk factors like cardiovascular or kidney disease,   the recommended management is lifestyle changes (diet, exercise etc) and often weight loss. These require time intensive counseling from health professionals, something very hard for overtaxed national health systems to provide.  If the patient is also obese then treatment with GLP-1 agonists may be indicated, very expensive for a cash-strapped health system. 

I remember that 120/80  was a good number.  Now, maybe not so good?

1 hour ago, how241 said:

I remember that 120/80  was a good number.  Now, maybe not so good?

 

 

Had those numbers for decades

 

Just checking for the moment now. 

 

 

 

34 minutes ago, Hummin said:

 

 

Had those numbers for decades

 

Just checking for the moment now. 

 

 

 

Just checked mine 120/73

14 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Just checked mine 120/73

Looks like we have only healthy people on AN 

13 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Looks like we have only healthy people on AN 

Especially if also taking no regular medication.

So what do you call a happy life? Happy to be alive at nearly 80 and have a wonderful Thai wife for 22years, what else can you wish for?

1 hour ago, still kicking said:

Looks like we have only healthy people on AN 

Just worked for one hour rowing machine and checked blood pressure 3 min later. Got 112/73

 

 

A blood pressure reading of 120/73 before exercise and 112/73 after exercise is generally considered normal. The systolic pressure (top number) dropped slightly after exercise, which is typical, while the diastolic pressure (bottom number) remained the same. This indicates a healthy response to physical activity. 

4 hours ago, still kicking said:

Just checked mine 120/73

with meds?

Mine is always in the green healthy zone, i wonder if at a certain age it will start increasing

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Mine is always in the green healthy zone, i wonder if at a certain age it will start increasing

If like me - it starts going up in the late 60s. When I first came here as in my early 50s I was average of 125/70, now I am about 155/80 which is a little high. But the pulse rate is in the low 60s which is a good sign.   

1 hour ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

If like me - it starts going up in the late 60s. When I first came here as in my early 50s I was average of 125/70, now I am about 155/80 which is a little high. But the pulse rate is in the low 60s which is a good sign.   

and are you generally healthy? weight ok etc? i just wonder if it goes up just because of age not just lifestyle

Sadly I had a disagreement with a doctor about BP - He measured it one day and it was classed as high - so immediately he wanted to put me on blood pressure tablets but when I pointed out he had only taken one reading at one point in time he became dismissive of me.

The truth is my BP is very variable and takes a time to settle down at rest. Yesterday at a hospital it was 150/80 (81 years of age) and I do always have raised BP at hospitals. The night before watching TV 117/77.

Of course BP is useful but not on the basis of one reading at one point in time. 

Last time I had physical in the US the doctor said the ideal numbers are 115/75.  Also he said an accurate BP reading is read after the patient has been resting for 10 to 15 minutes.  He said resting BP are the important numbers and not after walking into a doctors office after climbing stairs.  

10 hours ago, Hummin said:

Just worked for one hour rowing machine and checked blood pressure 3 min later. Got 112/73

 

 

A blood pressure reading of 120/73 before exercise and 112/73 after exercise is generally considered normal. The systolic pressure (top number) dropped slightly after exercise, which is typical, while the diastolic pressure (bottom number) remained the same. This indicates a healthy response to physical activity. 

A bit off topic. The stroke rate on that is quite high, but then your speed is much faster than mine. I'd only get a stroke rate up to 30 if I was doing intervals. 

5 Off Topic posts removed

Absent other health issues, 120 / 80 or below is the answer.  This is an article on SPRINT, the best known study -- which was stopped early because the 120 target was so obviously beneficial.   This doesn't mean that people should rush to get on drugs because of one blood pressure reading at a doctor's office.  It does mean that folks shouldn't be distracted by conspiracy theories, but should take concerns about simple lifestyle changes seriously -- particularly reducing salt intake, if you are in the third of the population that is sodium-sensitive.  

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/health/data-on-benefits-of-lower-blood-pressure-brings-clarity-for-doctors-and-patients.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ck8.i3wV.NbdSk3keQoIO&smid=url-share

 

NEJM paper link    https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1511939

 

On Monday, reporting at an American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Fla., and in a paper published simultaneously in The New England Journal of Medicine, study investigators lifted the veil. Among the 9,361 hypertension patients followed for an average of 3.2 years, there were 26 percent fewer deaths (155 compared with 210) and 38 percent fewer cases of heart failure (62 compared with 100) among patients who achieved the systolic pressure target of 120 than among those who achieved the current 140 target.

14 hours ago, Sheryl said:

There is no "universal" standard. Public health authorities &  experts in different countries use different ones.

Not just BP standards either.

I was surpirsed to learn some time ago that Western and Asian BMIs are scored differently. A Thai doctor explained to me that Westerners tend to have more muscle mass per kilo than Asians, with the latter typically having a bit more fat than muscle, so the BMI cutoff is higher for Westerners (seem counterintuitive, but that's what I was told). Muscle weighs more than fat or so they say. But I'm sure any Asian man or woman who works out in a gym each day might fall into the Western BMI range too.

I suffer from white coat syndrome to some degree. But I found that Sheryl's suggestion on another thread worked well if you are going to have your blood pressure checked in a hospital or clinic. Sit down and try to relax for 5 minutes or more and do the 5 breathing exercise. Breath in counting from one to fine, then breath out counting from one to five. Repeat five times. 

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

A bit off topic. The stroke rate on that is quite high, but then your speed is much faster than mine. I'd only get a stroke rate up to 30 if I was doing intervals. 

My average 500m is 2:26, I did higher frequency on the two last minutes here. My average hearth beat rate was 127 I think. 

 

I use for long distance setting 5 and setting 7 and 10 for intervalls on my Concept 2 rower. 

12 hours ago, still kicking said:

So what do you call a happy life? Happy to be alive at nearly 80 and have a wonderful Thai wife for 22years, what else can you wish for?

That's the most important, how you feel about it! 

 

 

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

Last time I had physical in the US the doctor said the ideal numbers are 115/75.  Also he said an accurate BP reading is read after the patient has been resting for 10 to 15 minutes.  He said resting BP are the important numbers and not after walking into a doctors office after climbing stairs.  

When I do my health check up at Bangkok Hospital, I'm always off when the nurses check me, no idea why so 🤔

 

Sometimes need 3 times to get it right

33 minutes ago, Hummin said:

When I do my health check up at Bangkok Hospital, I'm always off when the nurses check me, no idea why so 🤔

 

Sometimes need 3 times to get it right

Never got "excited" at any US physical exam because most of the nurse looked like Nurse Ratchet. 

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

and are you generally healthy? weight ok etc? i just wonder if it goes up just because of age not just lifestyle

All good - weight good and not fat at all - play golf 1-2 times a week and walk most of the way - dont eat take away - only one main meal a day. But I do take medication - for my skin condition - without it life is awful.  

3 hours ago, GarryP said:

I suffer from white coat syndrome to some degree. But I found that Sheryl's suggestion on another thread worked well if you are going to have your blood pressure checked in a hospital or clinic. Sit down and try to relax for 5 minutes or more and do the 5 breathing exercise. Breath in counting from one to fine, then breath out counting from one to five. Repeat five times. 

I will try that. When I visit the skin specialist the car park in the hospital is a 5 min walk from the clinic with no shelter from sun and heat. As soon as I enter they want to measure my BP and get very annoyed when I say no thanks. Luckily the Thai wife has many uses and one is keeping idiot 'nurses' away from me for 10-15 minutes.  

I walk 4.5 Km each morning. Then do a light resistance workout for 30 minutes in the condo's fitness room (too small to call it a 'gym'). Weight and BMI very good (diet changed too and helped to lose 9 kilograms over 5 months). My BP averages 109/71, but my heart rate is in the higher end of normal due to some stiff artery issues (that part is not good). Haven't smoked in more than 25 years and cut back on booze to once a week. I feel good. I actually do believe that if you need BP meds or lipid meds you should take them, but only if you are consistently above 140/80. That's my own view anyway. Regarding the lipid meds, if you're over 50 you may wish to consider taking the CT CAC Calcium scan you see advertised by all the private hospitals here. Non-invasive and only takes a few minutes. It will give you a much truer picture of your heart health than anything else. Then you can decide if you want to take the lipid meds.