Bah Humbug

Last week at the dr it was 118/78. And that's probably higher than it is outside of a medical office.

MoAlpha

cyclebycle13

Genetic Bonus Plan (probably combined with the crap I ate for years). High BP & High Cholesterol. I ride 6000-7000 miles a year, eat all natural/organic as much as possible, avoid added/refined sugar in my food and my BP is perfect on meds. Off meds, forget it. Cholesterol is now to the point where I only have to take a low dose generic statin 3 days a week.

rm -rf

It's too high in the winter, a little closer to normal when I'm riding a lot of miles in the summer. One med a day.

It was interesting that my BP was way low even an hour after riding in very hot, humid weather for a few hours.

This Omron monitor is easy. Just wrap the cuff and hit start. It uses either wall power or AA batteries. It keeps track of the last 100 readings too.

50PlusCycling

110 over 70 at my physical exam last week, the same as it was when I was in high school (when Reagan was president). A lifetime of cycling seems to have kept me somewhat healthy. I've drank a tanker full of soft drinks, and trucks full of junk food, but I've always kept my body active.

Machka 

The doctor likely does it right.

However, there is something called "White Coat Syndrome".

Machka 

My BP tends to be slightly low.

If I reduce the amount of salt I eat, it gets quite low.

When I have surgery, it drops into a range that alarms the nurses and they end up tilting the bed so my head is down and feet are high.



During the first several weeks of Rowan's recent injury, my BP was higher than I've ever seen in my life before.

OldTryGuy

68yo now and still no "White Coat Syndrome" here. Walked into pre-op staging room for my June prostate cancer surgery, put gown on, got on gurney and nurse hooked up the monitoring sensors, BP was 107/68 and pulse 42. HR was a little higher than normal. Got to get out more and get it back down to the resting rate of 32bpm that it was in 2015 right before my first cancer surgery. Treatment and drugs can sure screw things up.

indyfabz

It soars when I visit the A&S forum.

RidingMatthew

My heart rate is pretty low. One time I was experiencing some issues and went to the hospital. Did you know if your pulse drops below 40bpm the nurses and doctors come running.... every time. It is low enough that when the EMTs were checking me out last Saturday they asked me about my heart rate and pulse. They did not see anything to alarm them.
my heart rate is regularly irregular.

FBOATSB

Before my last surgery I had to get a full cardiac workup, I assume as a CYA for the hospital's legal department. At that time I could barely walk without a stick, no way on a treadmill for the stress echo portion. The cheerful nursing staff said "no worries we have something for that". Ever had a chemical stress echo? Wow. Through your IV they can dial your heart rate up or down like a radio dial while you lie still on the table wondering if your chest is going to assplode

DrIsotope

Haven't had it taken in about a year, but it was 126/78 last time. Which will always be a read a few points high, as at the doctor's office you're usually only sitting for a few moments before they strap on the cuff.

As the GP said, "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."

TrojanHorse

Mine's usually a little elevated, like 130/85 but nobody has ever done anything about it.

One factor at a doctor's office is you are active - driving, walking, standing and then sit for 10 seconds and take your BP. Your BP will be different when laying down, sitting and standing. Mine also goes up if I just had a cup of coffee.

Since mine is a little elevated, I like to keep track and one of my pet peeves is when a doctor takes it and then is completely silent on the result. "Hey, what was it"

Seattle Forrest

High blood pressure is a silent killer. Here’s why doctors often fail to catch it.

Seattle Forrest

When I got hit by a car and sent to the ER, I had the same experience. After a few times I pointed out that I'm a cyclist, and they turned the alarm off.

seedsbelize 

110/70

Cpinn3r

BP runs in my family. Before I started cycling I was avg 140 / 90 and I was on BP medications. Also didn't help having excessive weight . For the last couple of years I been commuting and cycling 3-4 times a weeks in summer months and when winter comes around zwift.

Since I been cycling I haven't been on any meds for over 2 years. I still get the occasional spike, but that only when i am bout to head out for group ride. I think it's because I have anxiety.

Just keep pedaling, not sure what you should do, about low blood pressure

CliffordK

In the past, I was riding between 1000 and 2000 miles a year or so, and my BP was pretty consistent at about 140/90. No meds.

Since going car-free a couple of years ago, and stopping drinking caffeine, I'm up to about 6000 to 8000 miles a year (5100 YTD), and my BP has been been varying, somewhere around 120 to 130 over 70 to 80.

KraneXL

Lower than when I was 21 when I first discovered it was pretty high. Now lowest in life. I give credit in part to diet and exercise but mostly to supplementation with Black seed oil.

mcours2006

Years ago when I had a physical after many years of neglect a jackass of a doctor told me I was hypertensive, or at least, pre-hypertensive, and that I'd probably be on some kind of meds for the rest of my life. No, he didn't consider other options, like changing diet, lifestyle, exercise, weight loss. Just meds.

I did manage to change my diet and lifestyle, exercised, and lost close to 40 lbs over the next six months, and my BP has been great ever since. Never saw that doctor again.

Montag311

Mine is usually on the low side of normal but when I've been riding a lot, it gets a bit too low, to the point where I get pretty dizzy sometimes. One day I was at Wal-Mart, squatting down looking at something on the bottom shelf, and when I stood up, I got very dizzy. I went right over to the blood pressure machine and checked myself and it said 86/62.

mcours2006

I have noticed that this happens to me as well since my weight loss. I call it a head rush, but it usually goes away after a few moments.

SylvainG

Mine is around 115/70 at rest. Anyone took their BP after a hard ride? Mine was 145/80, dropped to 120/75 after a few minutes and back to normal a few minutes later. Glad to see that at 55, my heart and vascular system seems to be in good shape

John HP

Mine started creeping up when I was racing as a Cat 2 in my early 20s. Currently on a couple of meds to control it. Hopefully I will be able to get off at least one now that I'm riding again. (not holding my breath)

drewguy

There's a version with bluetooth that allows you to sync it to an app and, if you want, Apple Health, so you can keep track of more than 100 readings. I think the BT capability adds about $5.

I got one because my BP has been a bit above hte recommended 120/80, despite a decent amount of riding (at least by non BF standards).