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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Re: High Blood Pressure
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Re: High Blood Pressure
by CCF CARDIO MD DLB, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on April 20, 1998 at 13:31:17:
In Reply to: High Blood Pressure posted by Vila Hall Sr. on April 19, 1998 at 23:06:39:
I have been diagnosed as having high blood pressure, but it is only high when I am at the doctors office. I have told two doctors that it is never high any other time. They insist it is and have proscribed fosinopril and atenolol, alsoterazosin which I had to quit taking because of some side effects.
I am 77 years old and in the best of health except for arthritis. Am never sick, not even a headache. Can work hard without getting fatigued and am a little overweight. My blood pressure away from the doctors office is usually around 140/70, but at the office is 170/80.
My question is, do I have high blood pressure And must I have to take this medicine?
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Dear Vila:
High blood pressure is a leading cause of strokes. It can also cause heart attacks, kidney failure, and vision problems. New research suggests that it may contribute to dementia and cognitive loss in the elderly. Even mild degrees of high blood pressure can lead to problems over time. One of the problems with high blood pressure is that it can take years for the damage to become evident. All that time you may have no symptoms. That is why high blood pressure is sometimes called the "silent killer." Some people have "white coat hypertension," which means that their blood pressure is normal except when they are in the doctors office. While this is less of a problem than sustained high blood pressure, it is still abnormal. Whether to treat white coat hypertension with medications is a trickier issue. At a minimum, patients with white coat hypertension should be advised to switch to a low salt diet, to start exercising regularly, and to lose weight if obese. These simple measures are sometimes enough. If someone is overweight, sometimes even a few pounds of weight loss can suffice. If the blood pressure remains elevated (even if only in the doctors office), many cardiologists would elect to start medications, especially if the blood pressure is very high.
If you wish to be evaluated here at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at desk F15. Information provided in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your doctor.
In Reply to: High Blood Pressure posted by Vila Hall Sr. on April 19, 1998 at 23:06:39:
I have been diagnosed as having high blood pressure, but it is only high when I am at the doctors office. I have told two doctors that it is never high any other time. They insist it is and have proscribed fosinopril and atenolol, alsoterazosin which I had to quit taking because of some side effects.
I am 77 years old and in the best of health except for arthritis. Am never sick, not even a headache. Can work hard without getting fatigued and am a little overweight. My blood pressure away from the doctors office is usually around 140/70, but at the office is 170/80.
My question is, do I have high blood pressure And must I have to take this medicine?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Vila:
High blood pressure is a leading cause of strokes. It can also cause heart attacks, kidney failure, and vision problems. New research suggests that it may contribute to dementia and cognitive loss in the elderly. Even mild degrees of high blood pressure can lead to problems over time. One of the problems with high blood pressure is that it can take years for the damage to become evident. All that time you may have no symptoms. That is why high blood pressure is sometimes called the "silent killer." Some people have "white coat hypertension," which means that their blood pressure is normal except when they are in the doctors office. While this is less of a problem than sustained high blood pressure, it is still abnormal. Whether to treat white coat hypertension with medications is a trickier issue. At a minimum, patients with white coat hypertension should be advised to switch to a low salt diet, to start exercising regularly, and to lose weight if obese. These simple measures are sometimes enough. If someone is overweight, sometimes even a few pounds of weight loss can suffice. If the blood pressure remains elevated (even if only in the doctors office), many cardiologists would elect to start medications, especially if the blood pressure is very high.
If you wish to be evaluated here at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at desk F15. Information provided in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your doctor.
