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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
27 yo male - recently diagnosed high BP/ possibly enlarged heart
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27 yo male - recently diagnosed high BP/ possibly enlarged heart
by Edie__0, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By Eddie on March 08, 1999 at 13:43:35:
I'm a 27 year old white male, about 15 lbs overweight (accumulated over last two years) and have not regularly exercised for a couple of years. I have never smoked. . I work in a stressful professional job which often entails long hours/travel. No direct (mother/father/sibling) history of high BP although grandparents have had various heart conditions (angina etc) in their late years.
While on a business trip in the US, I suffered a nasty ear infection through fluid in the inner ear. A local MD took my BP as part of a routine exam and found it to be 190/120. At this point, I was stressed out having only slept 5-6 hours over the last two days + inter-continental flight and work pressure. Also I had taken four Tylenol decongestant tablets earier in the day (which apparantly can raise BP). Heart was racing (120bpm).
I returned 24 hours later to find that BP was little changed and the doctor prescribed metroprolol until my return to the UK a few days later. This maintained my bp at normal rates and pulse at 60 bpm on 100mg/day. They did make me feel odd though with occasional flushing.
My own doctor in the UK asked me to come off the pills on my return to establish my baseline BP. I have also switched to a low fat diet and undertaken a program of moderate aerobic exercise plus relaxation techniques (deep breathing exercises etc etc). over the last week. I am taking calcium and magnesium supplements (800mg of each at night + 400 mg of each in the morning).
. I have taken BP regularly with Omron digital home device and found it to vary between 137/70 and 160/100 but usually around 150/90. This has been while at home away from a stressful environment. Resting heart rate seems to be about 80bpm. Consistently higher in the doctors office (160-170/90) - I think this may be anxiety about being there in the first place!
I have felt no symptoms in particular except for a slight pull at my left chest which comes and gos for a few days at a time and does not increase with physical exertion (last 6 months or so). I've also noticed that my heart rate is increased for periods (c 100bpm) - although this seems to have stopped with the resumption of regular exercise. No problems in carrying out 30mins of exercise (rowing, cycling or swimming) at moderate resistance/speed at 75% target heart rate.
I have had a resting ECG and appropriate blood tests. Blood tests were all normal but doctor says that ECG suggests a mildly enlarged heart.
I do not particularly want to restart the BP medication and would prefer to try and tackle it via lifestyle change(diet, stress reduction, exercise) - I hope I can get the systolic down to 140 or below in this way and wold like to give that a try for three months. Is this likely to be achievable?
Can an enlarged heart be diagnosed from an ECG - I thought an electrocardiogram or similar was required. If so, why would a doctor conclude this from an ECG? Does this slight pull in my chest indicate an enlarged heart or anything else in particular? I'm suprised that my heart could have been affected this way given my age and good health to date.
If my heart is enlarged, is this reversible? (I have seen conflicting comments on this).
Could there be any relationship between an enlarged heart and my ear infection (which is pretty much gone now). I have heard that an enlarged heart in combination with even mildy high BP is dangerous - can you confirm/deny?
Lastly, I have heard that Diovan(valsartan) is an effective BP medication while being more effective than other in reversing ventricular hypertrophy and having very few side effects. Also that captopril, while more expensive, has fewer side effects than metroprolol. If I have to go on medication can you suggest which medication would be most effective with minimal side effects...
Sorry for the barrage of questions but I prefer to try and take as much responsiblity as possible for my own well-being.
With kind regards
Eddie
I'm a 27 year old white male, about 15 lbs overweight (accumulated over last two years) and have not regularly exercised for a couple of years. I have never smoked. . I work in a stressful professional job which often entails long hours/travel. No direct (mother/father/sibling) history of high BP although grandparents have had various heart conditions (angina etc) in their late years.
While on a business trip in the US, I suffered a nasty ear infection through fluid in the inner ear. A local MD took my BP as part of a routine exam and found it to be 190/120. At this point, I was stressed out having only slept 5-6 hours over the last two days + inter-continental flight and work pressure. Also I had taken four Tylenol decongestant tablets earier in the day (which apparantly can raise BP). Heart was racing (120bpm).
I returned 24 hours later to find that BP was little changed and the doctor prescribed metroprolol until my return to the UK a few days later. This maintained my bp at normal rates and pulse at 60 bpm on 100mg/day. They did make me feel odd though with occasional flushing.
My own doctor in the UK asked me to come off the pills on my return to establish my baseline BP. I have also switched to a low fat diet and undertaken a program of moderate aerobic exercise plus relaxation techniques (deep breathing exercises etc etc). over the last week. I am taking calcium and magnesium supplements (800mg of each at night + 400 mg of each in the morning).
. I have taken BP regularly with Omron digital home device and found it to vary between 137/70 and 160/100 but usually around 150/90. This has been while at home away from a stressful environment. Resting heart rate seems to be about 80bpm. Consistently higher in the doctors office (160-170/90) - I think this may be anxiety about being there in the first place!
I have felt no symptoms in particular except for a slight pull at my left chest which comes and gos for a few days at a time and does not increase with physical exertion (last 6 months or so). I've also noticed that my heart rate is increased for periods (c 100bpm) - although this seems to have stopped with the resumption of regular exercise. No problems in carrying out 30mins of exercise (rowing, cycling or swimming) at moderate resistance/speed at 75% target heart rate.
I have had a resting ECG and appropriate blood tests. Blood tests were all normal but doctor says that ECG suggests a mildly enlarged heart.
I do not particularly want to restart the BP medication and would prefer to try and tackle it via lifestyle change(diet, stress reduction, exercise) - I hope I can get the systolic down to 140 or below in this way and wold like to give that a try for three months. Is this likely to be achievable?
Can an enlarged heart be diagnosed from an ECG - I thought an electrocardiogram or similar was required. If so, why would a doctor conclude this from an ECG? Does this slight pull in my chest indicate an enlarged heart or anything else in particular? I'm suprised that my heart could have been affected this way given my age and good health to date.
If my heart is enlarged, is this reversible? (I have seen conflicting comments on this).
Could there be any relationship between an enlarged heart and my ear infection (which is pretty much gone now). I have heard that an enlarged heart in combination with even mildy high BP is dangerous - can you confirm/deny?
Lastly, I have heard that Diovan(valsartan) is an effective BP medication while being more effective than other in reversing ventricular hypertrophy and having very few side effects. Also that captopril, while more expensive, has fewer side effects than metroprolol. If I have to go on medication can you suggest which medication would be most effective with minimal side effects...
Sorry for the barrage of questions but I prefer to try and take as much responsiblity as possible for my own well-being.
With kind regards
Eddie
