Now that's high!

131/81 is termed "prehypertension" according to the newest guidelines. The readings at the doctor's office were "Stage 1 hypertension". I get those readings often. This part is why I'm taking it seriously:

The relationship between BP and risk of CVD events is continuous, consistent,
and independent of other risk factors. The higher the BP, the greater is the
chance of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. For individu-
als 40–70 years of age, each increment of 20 mmHg in systolic BP (SBP) or
10 mmHg in diastolic BP (DBP) doubles the risk of CVD across the entire BP
range from 115/75 to 185/115 mmHg.8
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/...on/express.pdf

But, that's an average over 60 readings--I take it morning and night, in both arms, and if it seems high or low, I take it again.

What's really bothering me is this shortness of breath/heart skipping thing that's been going on for the last two hours. The symptom is so vague that I can't really describe it. I hesitate to say "pressure on my chest" to any medical person because that brings in all kinds of urgency. But, that's what it is, like a clutching on my chest, like a panic, and I have to cough a little. It only lasts for a second. This happens a lot when I'm driving so I sometimes wonders if it's postural or something. I can't relate it to caffeine, or anything like that. And I can shovel dirt and mulch for hours, and run sprints (this morning) and ride my bike a long way.

It's one of those symptoms that you kind of ignore until it goes away, but it hasn't gone away, and now coupled with the higher BP readings, I'm starting to wonder....

Karen