high blood pressure/no risk factors

Hi, I am very concerned for my sister she recently developed high blood pressure. the other night it was 177/121.  She is 36 yrs old, 120lb, 5'3.  She is active jogging or bikeriding 3-4x per week, going to the gym for weights 2x a week and generally active hiking, etc.  Low stress, no smoking or drinking.  She has always been a normal weight and eats very well, follows a very natural diet,  no additives etc.  In the past month she has cut out all caffeine, added salt and the occasional allergy pill because she heard that contributed to high blood pressure.  Her pressure has continued to rise and sometimes she feels light-headed and says "this is what it must feel like to take "speed".  She has also had headaches. Her resting pulse since this started registers 100.  She is generally so healthy that she doesnt see a regular doctor and went to a walk-in clinic and was told nothing was wrong that they regularily see people w/blood pressure 200/150 and then suggested she find a doctor to take all her medical history and work with them (a doctor told her this)  I am concerned as she has no contributing risk factors and yet the doctor did not consider her blood pressure high or even attempt to investigate or bring it undercontrol while she waits for an appointment.  Any feedback would be helpful

[Barbarella]

Tell your sister to get her a home BP monitor and record her BP at least once a day.  If the bottom number stays that high tell her to go to the ER and ask them to give her meds to tie her over until she sees a doctor.  Or tell her when she makes the appointment to tell them how high her BP is and maybe they can work her in sooner or fill her in a cancellation.  When making an appointment they usually schedule according what you tell them is wrong with.  A 'follow up" for example can take 4 weeks, but when my husband told them that his BP keeps creeping up despite the BP meds he is on he was given an appointment within 3 days, they "worked him in" they told him.  Usually the medical professionals do not want to take any chances with high BP especially if its as high as your sisters.  That is why I was shocked what the "walk in clinic" told your sister.  A bottom # of 121 is way to high.  Even 177 top is high, but the bottom number is very concerning.

[kitcurious]

Wow! That was some strange/stressed-out clinic. She should schedule an appointment with her personal physician. Some young, healthy people can have essential hypertension and some have hypertension that is secondary ( meaning caused by some other condition that needs to be addressed). Often women are hormonally protected from HTN until menopausal age, but not always.

In any event, she needs to have a complete physical, soon, from someone who isn't jaded or worn down by regularly seeing people in horrible condition. They can test her for all sorts of things including pheochromocytoma (extremely rare and unlikely adrenal tumor but would ask about it because this is such a sudden change as you describe it).

Barbarella is absolutely right about keeping track of her BP at home. Most importantly for a cue as to when to seek immediate medical help, but  also, much less importantly, to keep a little log of it to take to the real doctor with her. They may find it useful to see her readings at home from time to time.

I hope you get answers soon. She is lucky to have a sister that is so concerned for her.

[hypnot283]

Yes, it sounds like you she has very high blood pressure. You may want to seek a doctor for advice. In the meantime here is some info that you may find useful:

"About 65 million Americans

[Giancana]

There are two type of pulmonary hypertension, most likely she falls in secondary hypertension. Sometimes it is genetic other issues maybe play a facotor like renal disorders or stenoted arteries. If hypertension goes untreated for years it will shut down your kidneys and have renal failure, this is after years of untreated symtoms (symptoms). You can ask your cardiologist to put her on a 24hr BP monitor to evaluate her elevations during the day and resting HR. I myself is in the same boat, and want to find the source instead of taking meds.

[Barbarella]

No matter what the source unless its only temporarely you will have to take meds.  Most peoples BP they cannot find the source.

I do not know how high your BP is on average, but if its very high as the poster above stated natural products, life style changes etc usually will not help much or lets say bring it down to 120/80 or lower as the new guidelines are stating 120/80 is pre-hypertensive which I think is ridiculous, but that is what they say.

[Giancana]

There are several things that can contribute to pulmonary hypertension other than health and eating.
CT can rule out issue like occlusions
Renal Duplex Studies to check kidneys
Lab workups to check values in Kidneys and Liver
Stress Echos
Adrenal Cortex issues related to aldosterone, and androgen levels
Thyroid aswell

There is always something triggering Agiotension II and it's a matter of find the source. Alot of DO and MD don't want to do a workup up to find out why do to cost and kick backs from isurance co. They really don't know why pulmonary hypertension occurs, but it does need to be treated if no source found due to renal failure and iddm.