Can it be normal again?

Hi,

I am a 24 year othersise healthy male. Recently I was diagnosed with mild LVH and hypertension. This may be due to the following facts that have occured in past 4-5 years; unhealthy lifestyle, unhealthy eating, 30-35 lbs of weight gain, etc.

My doctor thinks due to these factors I might have had mild and borderline high bp resulting into LVH. Is this a fair assumption?

Right now, I am taking Atenolol 25 mg per day
which seems to be helping.

My question is with a proper care, and proper lifesyle, can I bring back my heart to normal? Can I reduce the BP and not have to be dependent on medicine for rest of my life?

With 25mg of atenolol a day, the home pressure reading is below 120/80 in average and at the grocery stores, it is about
128-134/80-86. Is this Ok? Thank you.


Jerry

[CCF CARDIO MD JMF]

Dear Jerry,

LVH may regress with aggressive blood pressure control as you are doing.  In some instances it does not but may never cause you a problem if all other heart risk factors are well controlled.  

Right now your blood pressure is well controlled.

[Houang]

4-5 years seems too short for me. Isn't it Doctor?

Houang

[Jerry]

Thank you for your comments.

1. As Houang mentioned, is it a very short period for a mild blood pressure to cause damage? Somewhere else in this board I saw that even 2-3 years of uncontrolled mild bp would cause damage. What's the truth?

2. What is the average years does it take for bp to start causing damage?

3. Also how long does it take it to regress?

4. Will it be completely normal, or part normal?

Thank you.

Jerry

[CCF CARDIO MD JMF]

DEar Jerry,

the effect of BP on each individual varies, some people may never be affected and some are quickly affected.  It may be about 2-3 years before we start to see changes.  

Regression too is variable and not well understood.  It may take several years or may never regress but efforts should be made to control BP.  

I can't tell you the answer to the question that you are desperate to know.  It may or may not return to normal... only time will tell