physician.******
****************************************************************************
************You don't need to wait for your blood pressure to be a certain "level"
before going to your physician for an evaluation... a simple telephone
call to his/her office might clear up most of your questions -- especially
since he/she knows your age, your other risk factors for
cardiovascular disease, and your overall history....
For blood pressures (on repeated, reliable measurements --using a
calibrated, manual cuff) running greater than 140/90, you need to make some
lifestyle adjustments, exercise, decrease the amount of fat, alcohol and
sodium in your diet,
lose weight (if you're obese), try to engage in a stress-reduction program,
and above all, stop smoking. (All the non-glamourous,
things that can be tough to accomplish but might stave off having
to take medications.)
If after 2-6 months of modifications in your lifestyle you still have blood
pressures > 130/80 (+/- 10mmHg) you may need to start medication.
If your blood pressure is consistently >150/100 you may need medication at
time of your first doctor visit.
Assuming there is no "secondary" *cause* of your hypertension
(e.g. other medications, drugs, renal disease, endocrine abnormality),
hypertension is something you "treat for life." It's possible with
lifestyle modifications to discontinue
taking one or more antihypertensive medications... provided you continue
to have your BP monitored regularly. Your physician can do an
evaluation to see if there is any evidence of a secondary
etiology to your blood pressure problems.
(sources: include JNC V, JNC VI guidelines -- all readily available)
>>> > I think the caffeine issue has a lot to do with the individual. It is
> > a stimulant in that it will cause the heart to beat faster. On first
> > impression, this evidence would leave one to believe that the blood pressure
> > would also increase. Caffeine has, though, several other important effects:
> > 1) Acts as a vasodilator, increasing the size of the lumen (inside
> > portion) of the arterioles. This serves to lower blood pressure since it
> > increases the size of the vessels while not affecting the volume of fluid
> > within them.
> > 2) Acts as a diuretic, so it pulls water from the blood and excretes
> > it as urine. This also serves to reduce the total blood volume, but at the
> > same time, may thicken the blood bny concentrating it.
> > So you see, there are many physiological effects something like coffee has, so
> > it really depends on the individual's personal physiological makeup whether it
> > will have the total effect of increasing or decreasing BP, or having no net
> > effect whatsoever.
>> -- Steve (chiropractic student)
Actually, Steve, caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor (it increases systemic
vascular
resistance and it constricts cerebral vessels --maybe why it's effective
in treating headache). It's also a potent sympathomimetic agent.
For all these reasons, it elevates blood pressure. It also can cause
cardiac dysrhythmias. Not a great drug to be taking if you're concerned
that your BP might be high. It can act as a *weak* diuretic, but probably
not enough to offset the overall systemic increases in sympathetic
tone. Caffeine's effects are more predictable than what you
are leading us to believe and have very little to do with the vagueries
of "personal physiological makeup"...
>>it also has potassium
>>jwwright
Caffeine doesn't contain any potassium... (i don't know whether there's any
potassium in coffee beans, however...)
One final point (and then i'll hush up) ...
NOTE: i'm not a "know it all" and there are others on USENET a heck of
a lot more educated than I am and more qualified to render opinions
on some of these subjects... USENET is a terrible place to get
reliable information on ANYTHING anyway.
Some people on here choose to remain
anonymous not because we're timid, but because of problems with
spam, etc. *Philosophical* differences aside, I hate seeing misinformation
posted when it deals with really straightforward, well documented,
easy to comprehend, physiologic and pharmacologic questions --
such as hypertension. Otherwise, I wouldn't have posted anything.
There, 'nuff said.
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