Active 25 Y/O With SLight PVC/PAC and High BP? Why?!

[Jamesey]

Hi.
  I am a  25 year old ex smoker, non drinker, who exercises somewhat regularly. I am not overweight (5'10 165lbs). I have a blood pressure of about 140-150/80, and thats pretty consistent. +

   I was having palpations so I went to the doc, he gave me a holter for 48 hours and said 6 PVC's and PAC's were recorded and said benign.

  I have never had a problem with palpations up until last summer / winter. I was put on paxil four years ago for stomach aches (Doc said it was anxiety), and I came off the paxil last Christmas as well as quit smoking in  February. I think paxil caused me damage or something. I have experience panic attacks last summer which I never had prior to paxil. My anxiety forms itself physiologically 100x worse than it did before paxil.

  I dont know why my BP is high. I exercise. Even when im at home relaxing I measure it and its 145 over 78. It frustrates me greatly as I used to be the healthiest individual. I fear going on BP meds because of the side effects, plus I dont want to lower my diastolic much more. I think this is called isolated systolic hypertension?


PVC / PAC? High BP?
  
    Any ideas and should I be worried?
   I am afraid to do cardio because of the heart skipping a beat  / PVC's..

[Amethyst1974]

Hi,
I’m 35 years old, female,  198 lbs.  I weighted 242 lbs. I took CoDiovan (2007-2009) for high BP and lowered it to 130/85 (from 140+/95+). I didn’t experienced any side effects besides I adapted a healthy life style. Presently I am on betablockers for other issues (and my BP is much lower (120/75).
My point is if your doctor is going to prescribe some high BP med I don’t think it is going to lower yor BP so much that you are not in a BP normal range. I also think you do not have to worry so much about the PAC’s and PVC’s you are feeling because they are not so much. Another advice, do not take your BP every minute, that wil only make you
anxious. Remember BP is not constant.

In the meanthime you can try to lower your BP naturaly, like:
Step 1:  Know where you are, so you can get where you want to be.
Know your risk for high blood pressure and understand your numbers.

Risk factors you cannot control:

Gender

Family History

Race

If you have one or more risk factors you cannot change, it's that much more important to focus on the ones you can.

Risk factors you can change:

Tobacco use

Physical inactivity

Excess Weight

Diabetes

Stress

Alcohol

Sodium intake

Potassium intake

Medication

The numbers you need to know:

   1. Systolic blood pressure
   2. Diastolic blood pressure

Step 2: Heart healthy living becomes reality, not some pipe dream!

Here are four lifestyle choices that have a direct impact on blood pressure.

Factor 1 – Tobacco Use

There's a significant rise in blood pressure with every cigarette you smoke. If you stop smoking you'll most likely see cardiovascular benefits within one year.

Factor 2 – Alcohol

More than two drinks daily for men and one drink daily for women can elevate blood pressure. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ½ ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

Factor 3 – Physical Activity

Be regularly active! Inactivity usually results in a higher heart rate. A higher heart rate means the heart must pump harder, exerting more force on artery walls. Also, a sedentary lifestyle leads to excess weight.

To reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure, you need to increase physical activity to at least 30 minutes on 5 or more days each week.

Factor 4 – Stress Management

Be aware of what triggers your stress and what you do to cope. Do you turn to cigarettes, alcohol, and food?

Step 3: Balance fats to work with you, not against.

To be heart healthy, you need to decrease your saturated fat and trans fat intake. Replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats will raise HDL (good) and lower total cholesterol. Total fat intake should equal 30% or less of total daily calories.

Saturated Fat

Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol levels and should be limited to less than 7% of your total daily calories.

Sources – meat, milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, lard, shortening, hydrogenated vegetable fat, palm oil, and coconut oil.

Unsaturated Fats

There are different types of unsaturated fats – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. If eaten in moderation, unsaturated fats promote heart health.
Monounsaturated fats

Sources -- canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, avocadoes, peanut butter, nuts, and seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats

Sources -- soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, salmon, mackerel, herring, trout, nuts, and seeds.

Trans Fatty Acids

Consuming trans fats increases your heart disease risk. Daily trans fat intake should be less than 1% of your total calorie intake. Read food labels to reduce trans fat intake.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega 3 fatty acids are involved in the regulation of heart rate, blood pressure, and blood clotting.

Sources
• Oils - canola oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil (good source of ALA)

• Seeds and nuts - flaxseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds

• Vegetables - avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, mustard greens, collards)

• Fish (good source of EPA and DHA) - salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring

Step 4: Shake the salt habit once and for all.

Sodium is a mineral and it's vital for health. Sodium maintains fluid balance, which is why it plays a key role in blood pressure control. To be heart healthy, sodium intake should be reduced to less than 2300 mg (1 teaspoon table salt = 2300 mg sodium) daily.

Reduce your sodium intake by –

   1. Using less salt at the table.
   2. Reading food labels.
   3. Selecting healthy choices when dining out.

Step 5:  Dietary fiber – Boost your fiber intake and watch your numbers drop.
A high fiber diet is necessary for heart health. You need 25-35 grams of dietary fiber daily. There are two fiber categories - soluble and insoluble.
Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber moves waste through the intestines and maintains intestinal acid balance.
Sources
• Fruit and root vegetable skins
• Vegetables (green beans, celery, cauliflower, zucchini, beets, turnips, potato skins, and dark green leafy vegetables)
• Wheat and whole-wheat products
• Wheat oat
• Corn bran
• Seeds and nuts
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber is the type of fiber responsible for lowering total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
Sources
• Oat and oat bran
• Legumes (dried beans and peas)
• Nuts
• Barley, rye
• Flaxseed
• Fruits (i.e. oranges, apples, prunes, plums, berries)
• Vegetables (i.e. carrots, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions)
• Psyllium husk

Step 6: Balance minerals to meet your individual needs.

Potassium

High potassium intake protects against high blood pressure and will improve control of high blood pressure. If potassium intake is too low, blood pressure will rise.
Potassium helps maintain normal heart and nerve function. If you're using diuretics (i.e. water pills) to lower blood pressure, the excess urination can cause loss of potassium.

Shoot for 3500 mg of potassium everyday.

Magnesium

Poor magnesium levels are common for individuals with cardiovascular disease, usually due to poor diet and magnesium loss caused by diuretics or diabetes. Low dietary magnesium is a risk factor for high blood pressure.

Adult women need 280 mg of magnesium and men 350 mg.

Calcium

Increased low fat dairy intake will reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure and if prevention is a thing of the past, low fat dairy will help control high blood pressure. High fat dairy (whole or 2% milk) does not help fight against high blood pressure.

Another plus for increasing low fat dairy intake is weight loss. If you consume at least 3 servings of low fat dairy everyday, it'll promote a shrinking waistline.

Step 7: Adopt the DASH Diet to drastically reduce blood pressure.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is used to reduce high blood pressure. A diet reduced in total and saturated fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods significantly lowers high blood pressure. If followed the DASH diet will lower blood pressure, which can help prevent and control high blood pressure.

By following the DASH Diet you may see blood pressure improvement in as little as 14 days!

Let me know if you tried this out.
All the best,
Amethyst

[Jamesey]

I also do have SOME stress in life, as far as going to college and my father passed away in 2007 out of the blue.
But I still would think after all this time my BP would reduce. Even if I reduce sodium intake it doesn't even budge. I tried eating beets and beet juice too once.