Blood pressure whilst in Arrhythmia

[Hanibal]

Hi, everyone. Hope you're doing well.

My arrhythmia returned a couple of days ago but with a change that I haven't seen before so I wondered if anyone else has the same experience.

Although the systolic measure is in the healthy range, the diastolic has risen disproportionally.

Average readings over the last few days are 136/91 whereas normally the reading are 136/75.

Any feedback from your experience would, as ever, be valued.

Thanks

Mike

[BobD Volunteer]

Few home BP machines are remotely accurate if you have AF I'm afraid.

[Ppiman]

As Bob has said, measuring BP during AF is inaccurate and unreliable - except with a traditional mercury style sphygmomanometer, I gather, so your readings will be inaccurate if you were measuring your BP while the atria were quivering away!

If you measured during NSR, however, and have been keeping records, then this is a change that would be worth mentioning to your GP. Anything above 90mm Hg diastolic seems to be when treatment is considered but this very much depends upon age and other factors, I gather. Do you take three BP reading a few minutes apart while sitting at a table resting your arms on a cushion? As silly as it sounds, I need to do this, or I get higher readings. I seem to relax very slowly, too, so need to be sure I am calm.

Steve

[Hanibal in reply to Ppiman]

Hi, thanks for replying.

Yeah, I know that the home readings in AF are inaccurate (manf usually point that out in the script) so I try to use the readings where I don't get the wobbly heart symbol on the screen.

Unfortunately, the nature of the beast can still affect the readings if briefly in-between NSR and AF...

I had mentioned this to my GP before and he/she (we get shared out!) had not commented.

I take my readings in the same way as yourself and like you, it takes time to relax. I know this from comparing the first reading with the last!

My average for May to date is 133/90 up on a YTD diastolic average of 82. Those numbers don't appear to be that bad given my age of 75 but I'll keep an eye on the measure through next week, assuming this blo...dy AF behaves itself!

[Ppiman in reply to Hanibal]

They sound good to me, too. I take losartan anyway, not for BP but for general cardiac protection, it seems! You might want too mention this as it seems it's often given for that reason.

Steve

[riffjack846]

My BP is weird too during an afib episode. Mine goes to a lower normal range but when in NSR I have to take amlodipine to lower it. Doctor is baffled.