High pulse pressure a concern?

[me1986]

My pulse pressure seems to be higher than "normal" and I was wondering if there's any cause for concern?

My blood pressure ranges from 140/60 -120/50 giving me a pulse pressure of 70-80.

I am 21 years old and around 12st8 at 15%bf.

I've done alot of weight training over the last few years and have done a few steroid cycles (dont use them anymore)

I've been to my GP who listended to my heart and said I had a slight murmour, done an ECG which they said was showing something but nothing serious and then sent me for an Echo which came back normal.  After going back to the GP after having my Echo results they said everything was normal and to have a check up in 5 years.  I told her my concerns about my blood pressure / pulse pressure but she said she has never heard the term pulse pressure and the difference between them is irrelavant.  Is it worth me going to see another GP to get another opinion?

[markmsn10]

Pulse pressure studies haven't really shown any relevance.   The only relevance is how elastic the arteries/veins are in the elderly (who typically have high pulse pressures)   Anxiety and exercise will always produce high pulse pressures where 80 is the norm.   Mainly because systolic will always increase where diastolic will decrease or show no change.    I would try to relax and take it at a drug store... or a home pressure monitor.   You will probably find your blood pressure ranges fall in the normal ranges.  

I look at the monitors at the drug stores/grocery stores and used to subtract the numbers of others... found nobody really had a pulse pressure of 40.

[kenkeith]

If the usual resting pulse pressure is CONSISTENTLY greater than 40 mmHg, e.g. 60 or 80 mmHg, the most likely basis is stiffness of the major arteries (as markmsn states), an echo would rule out aortic regurgitation (a leak in the aortic valve) as a cause and that would have been a possibility, arteriovenous malformation (an extra path for blood to travel from a high pressure artery to a low pressure vein without the gradient of a capillary bed), hyperthyroidism or some combination.

(A chronically increased stroke volume is also a technical possibility, but very rare in practice.) I doubt you are on hp medicatrion, but some drugs for hypertension have the side effect of increasing resting pulse pressure irreversibly, other hypertension drugs, such as ACE Inhibitors, have been shown to lower pulse pressure.

A high resting pulse pressure is harmful and tends to accelerate the normal ageing (aging) of body organs, particularly the heart, the brain and kidneys.

A high pulse pressure combined with a resting heart rate below 60 (bradycardia) is associated with increased intracranial pressure and should be reported to a physician immediately.

[me1986]

Thanks for the replys so far.

I am using a home testing kit, just done another test and got 130/55 with a pulse of 55.

Any other opinions?  No matter what time of day I take it pulse pressure is always 60-80, usually in the 70's.

[me1986]

First reading was on waking, just done another 10mins later.

130/60 pulse 65

[markmsn10]

Blood pressure taken in the morning isn't the best way to get a clear picture of actual blood pressure.   The only time this is effective is right after you wake up (before getting dressed etc)     How are you taking your blood pressure?   You need to be sitting, legs uncrossed and feet on the floor.   Arm needs to be elevated on a table at level with your heart (and depending on bb monitor) the arrow on the cuff needs to point towards the middle finger.   Arm is usually turned over so you are looking at your palm.    Proper arm elevation has everything to do with getting accurate readings.

Also remember as said before, ANY anxiety causes the systolic pressure to rise (with little/no change to diastolic)   I know its hard to eliminate anxiety sometimes but try to take multiple readings in one sitting (waiting about 3-4 mins between) and see if the systolic level drops.  Your actual blood pressure could be like 105/60 and you may not know that.   I checked my blood pressure this morning just to see what mine was.   The first reading (after going down some stairs and getting the machine out) was 136/80 which is 56 pulse pressure.   I waited 5 minutes and took it again, it was 124/79 pulse pressure of 45.   I looked through my history of pulse pressure on my monitor.   I have a ton of them in the mid 50's ranges.

[me1986]

Thanks for the reply.

I am taking my blood pressure exactly as you describe.  If I take it a few times, the readings generally get lower (as you would expect being relaxed)  Pulse pressure still stays high though.  For example, something like -

135/62
125/55
120/52

I tried explaing this to my GP but she has never heard of pulse pressure, said the difference between the two is irelevant and me having a lower blood pressure is good.  

[kenkeith]

Some people average there daily reading as there is and sometime a large variation.  I don't have any evidence to support that propoition.  Also take your blood pressure at the same time from day to day if your daily routine doesn't/didn't vary much.  First thing in the morning, last time before retiring, and some in between times.  The cuff of your bp unit should be even with your heart.