Blood pressure

Is there any reason, scientific or anecdotal or whatever why BP rises in winter and drops back in the milder/warmer months.

Do other peeps on here experience this ......... if so, what do you do about it ......... keep calm and carry on ?

My exercise ( basic and minimal) and my diet do not vary throughout the year. No splurging /binging on either count.

Thanks in advance.

John

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Hello, John!

It is such a good thing when somebody else, fully independantly, notices the same thing. What you mention, I have noticed for the first time several years ago, like I have noticed that there is also the change in BP during the day, following certain pattern (lower in the morning, increased in the evening).

The explanation for what you have noticed may be very simple. The BP in our body is regulated in two ways - via changing the BPM of the heart and via throttling the pipeline. Most of the people with increased BP have cold feet and cold hands in colder weather. I have the impression that my feet are at 15 degree C, during the whole winter, lol. When cold, blood vessels contract and offer very small opening for blood flow (high throttling of the stream). But, the lower part of the body (the legs) is supplied via big artheries and if throttled too much, the pressure has to go up upstream. That could be the reason for what you noticed (in my job, I have been dealing with regulated pumps and regulated circulatory systems for decades) ...

Regards!

Peter

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Thanks Peter. Have to go on a work Course today but will get back to you when I can. Cheers.

John

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Hi Peter,

Well, that certainly explains the why and what happens.

I am not naturally a 'winter' person, I feel the cold ... hands and feet particularly so maybe that's the cause and effect issue you describe. The problem I have there I use Bisoprolol for HR control so the sensations I describe with the hands and feet could be a side effect of Bisoprolol and not 'the natural me' at work.

Must say I've had BP issues for a long time ... at least 18 years and have been on BP medication for 15 of those years. I'm not an exercise freak but am quite active so I tell myself I should exercise more BUT THEN I hate the cold and I hate being cold and going out walking over some of our local rambling tracks along the Cornish coast would destroy me. Cold and being cold as in a European winter totally depresses me, yep, even on a nice frosty sunny day. Unfortunately I've lived over half my life in Australia and yearn for the heat of an Aussie summer. Would return in a flash but heat and Mrs. Carn Euny don't go together. 🙁

BP was the major issue in my GP sending me to hospital where my AF diagnosis occurred. Hey ho, ..... just looking forward to Easter.

John