I'm new: a 60-year old man, recently retired, generally fit and healthy, but ...
I've recently realised that I have moderate hypertension. Twice-daily measurements over the last week average at 154/93 and I have been referred to my doctor who I expect will prescribe medication.
Every source says that hypertension can be reduced by reduced alcohol consumption, taking more exercise and better diet (particularly reduced salt intake), but I can't find any reference to the degree that blood pressure might be reduced through adopting a better 'lifestyle' (rather than taking medication). Can anyone point me to information about that option?
Written by
AlfTheDog
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Hi AlfTheDog. Are you after links to research that quantifies the extent to which BP can be lowered due to lifestyle changes? (You missed 2 biggies - obesity and smoking but I guess they don’t apply to you anyway). I haven’t seen much that is very specific. I guess it depends on how high your BP is and the extent to which it’s being caused by lifestyle factors. If you do go down the meds route you’ll also need to make lifestyle changes.
Yes, I should have mentioned obesity, as I have a BMI of nearly 28 (but on a downward trend). I've never smoked.
You're right - I am looking for research that quantifies the effects of lifestyle changes. I'd prefer to avoid medication if I can, but I've no idea what is possible (or to be expected).
Yes, thanks for the link. I fit the criteria for the study group, and if I could achieve the same results, I would only have borderline concern over BP (and probably have lower BP than most people of my age).
I know I'm overweight - so that's a start! I used to have a very active job, but since retirement have been taking things too easy. It's time for change.
The thing about BP medications is they can be changed easily and they can be dropped so you could try low doses of the meds to give you some immediate protection and also lose weight/exercise/eat better. And then when you’re back in range drop the meds.
This is the summary of a presentation of a study of 129 overweight or obese men and women. The authors report that lifestyle changes (healthy eating and weight loss) reduced blood pressure by 16mmHg systolic and 10 mmHg diastolic. newsroom.heart.org/news/lif...
But from what you say you don’t fit into the overweight/obese category so it’s difficult to say exactly how much you might improve your BP through diet etc.
Bmi of 28 is a touch overweight. Congratulations on your recent retirement. If you have sufficient income it is a lot like winning the lottery. Try measuring your height in inches and your waist on inches. Your waist should be half your height. If you look at professional rugby players nowadays they are a mass of muscle, way outside their BMI, but the days of the beer belly have long gone and their waists fit into the category of half of their height.
The BHF website has quite a lot of information about blood pressure which you might find interesting.
The other thing you don't mention is how much beer/wine you drink.?
I am a great believer in regular walking and I get out and about as much as I can, which means about 6/7 miles three times a week, walking at a fairly brisk pace, with a couple of walking poles to take the strain off the knees. I have a fitbit and any one would like to give me an apple watch I would be interested in doing a comparison.
If I walk my weight stays where I want it to be. If I skive off it starts to drift upwards. I recently had a quick check up in Tesco's chemists (£10) as I didn't fancy going down the local germ distribution centre. Bloods all good, sugar good, cholesterol ok. Weight ? She smiled " You are outside your BMI" she said. "Oh no, I am not" I said. "Oh yes, you are" she said. "My weight hasn't changed" I said.
She smiled and said "You have shrunk" she said. " You are no longer 6 foot. You are 5'11". She said "Lose 3 llbs".
BMI seems a crude measure - your example of rugby players illustrates the point well. I've come across the waist half your height idea before - but it's out of reach for me for a while. At 5'9", I'd be looking for 34.5" - and I'd have to come down two sizes (and replace my entire wardrobe). I'd be quite happy to get to 36" (and wear a belt).
I have the typical beer belly of someone my age and weight who leads too sedentary a lifestyle. But I drink almost no beer. My chosen tipple is table wine, drunk with food, and I probably drink the equivalent of 250 ml/day, averaged over the week.
We have a dog who I walk twice a day, but he's more interested in sniffing and snuffling to get much of a pace going, so while I'm out and on my feet for at least 90 minutes a day, it's just a slow amble. I need to take more strenuous exercise and will be taking delivery of a decent quality cross-trainer tomorrow, and I'm setting up my own small home gym. I can't face the local gym - it's full of stick-thin, young people, making the handful of old gits like me, clinging to the walls for support, feel rather daft.
I'm hoping that if I cut my alcohol intake a little, up my exercise quite a lot and reduce my calorie intake (my diet is already excellent - I just eat too much), I might have my BP within an acceptable range. I'm just as interested in feeling better and not trying to avoid catching glimpses of my rather saggy silhouette if I walk past a full-length mirror. I suppose I could get rid of the mirror...
Just an anecdote: five years ago I made a serious effort at losing weight and used a gym twice a week to swim and work out - and that on top of having a very active job. I lost two stone, WAS wearing 34" trousers and hadn't felt better for years. The catch was that my family kept telling me that I looked terrible: gaunt and with a scrawny neck and hollowed cheeks. I managed to give myself a hernia, moving some bags of gravel, and that was the end of the gym membership, pending a repair op. The momentum was lost, and the weight was slowly regained.
This time around I am going to ignore such comments: I'd rather feel fit and healthy (and look half dead) than BE dead.
Bl***y Ell. A cross trainer. You are really going for it! Ferrari next is it?
I am an outdoor , out in the green stuff type. You are obviously in dire need of a good sun tan and an electronic weighing scale to help to keep yourself motivated. Walking in Spain in the winter and Austria in the summer is surprisingly affordable if you go for last minute deals. I'm off to Cyprus shortly - well someone has to do it...
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