Heart of an athlete

[sfa]

I've never considered myself athletic, but I've always been active--rowing in college, then I took up cycling and running after college. Never competitvely; always just to stay active and in shape. Except for a few post-baby years my weight has always been in a healthy range. I eat well, have never smoked, drink only occasionally and moderately, and maintain a healthy diet.

Yet I have the heart of a middle-aged overweight smoker! Last week I went to a doctor for the first time in pretty much forever--it has been about six years since my last physical. While my heartrate is fine, my blood pressure last week was 139/90. The doctor wondered about white coat syndrome, so she asked me to check it a couple of times a week for the next couple of months. I just came back from the Wellness Center on campus and today the reading was 144/99 (again, heart rate just fine--even after the walk to the center it was still in the 60's).

Not only does this worry me, but it pisses me off (both of which, I'm sure, aren't helping the blood pressure)! My older sister is morbidly obese, finally just gave up smoking after years of addiction, eats crap all the time, never exercises, and her blood pressure is fine.

So what can I do? My only risk factor is stress, and there doesn't seem to be much I can do about the sources of stress in my life (anyone who is keeping track: next month will make two years of unemployment for my DH, and that's just the tip of the stress iceberg). Exercise IS my stress relief, but clearly it isn't helping my blood pressure (or perhaps it is and I'd be dead without it). The doctor says genetics can play a role, but neither of my parents had problems with blood pressure at my age. This has caught me completely off guard--I was always one of those people when I was younger who had such low blood pressure that I had problems with dizziness all the time.

[emily_in_nc]

Are you on the pill? That can definitely cause raised BP with no other risk factors and despite exercise. If so, maybe consider another method of b.c.

[sfa]

Are you on the pill? That can definitely cause raised BP with no other risk factors and despite exercise. If so, maybe consider another method of b.c.

That's good information to know, but no, I'm not on the pill.

I feel like I went from a young, vital woman (o.k., not young, I'm 42) to an old woman over the course of a 45 minute appointment. The doctor also says my hand pain is probably arthritis and I should get a full body check from a dermatologist.

[Crankin]

Recommending a full body check from a derm is just part of a physical today, so don't read anything into that one!
I would keep monitoring your BP and also think about doing other, non-medical things for stress reduction, like meditation. Yoga is something else that really works, but sometimes, it is contraindicated for high blood pressure. Did your doc say how long to monitor before she would do something? I have had periods of transient high blood pressure, when under stress, and it is almost always higher when i go to the doctor. Normally, it's very low, so I bought a digital bp machine that I could save the data from and brought it to my doctor, to show her that my bp was really quite low, except when I am seeing her! So, if you can, buy a bp machine for at home.
Did you get your cholesterol checked, too? Just to be safe... my DH had minimally high bp and high cholesterol as the first warning signs of coronary artery disease, even though he was thin and at the time was riding 4,000 miles a year. He has the family history from hell, though.
I know it is disheartening to have these things, even when we are active and healthy in our lifestyles. Getting all of this checked out is just another way to keep staying healthy.

[sfa]

Actually, I'm happy she recommended a dermatologist check--it's something I'm always aware of since my sister (adopted; not a blood relation) had skin cancer when she was young. Overall, I really liked this doctor--turns out she did the same triathlon as I did, and decided to stop for the same reason (can't stand the swim!), so we had a lot to just chat about and I felt very comfortable.

I'm supposed to come back in two months, after monitoring my bp two or three times a week. We have a wellness center on campus and I can get down there to get it checked whenever I want (and no white coats involved--today it was a work study student with really cute tights). It's not as good as getting a reading first thing in the morning before I've had a chance to get stressed, but it's convenient.

I have to get to the lab for a whole bunch of bloodwork, including checking my cholesterol.

[zoom-zoom]

Actually, I'm happy she recommended a dermatologist check--it's something I'm always aware of since my sister (adopted; not a blood relation) had skin cancer when she was young.

I'm glad she did this, too. My hubby had his first (and hopefully only) melanoma removed almost exactly a year ago, at the age of 38. Now skin cancer will forever be on our radar.

[lo123]

That's good information to know, but no, I'm not on the pill.

I feel like I went from a young, vital woman (o.k., not young, I'm 42) to an old woman over the course of a 45 minute appointment. The doctor also says my hand pain is probably arthritis and I should get a full body check from a dermatologist.

Some of us just get the short end of the genetic stick. I had to start bp meds last year at the ripe old age of 28 . My mother started them at about the same age. At least now I don't get headaches all the time.

[WindingRoad]

Some of us just get the short end of the genetic stick. I had to start bp meds last year at the ripe old age of 28 . My mother started them at about the same age. At least now I don't get headaches all the time.

Lo123 I know a girl in my class who is 24 and diagnosed with hyperlipidemia already. She is the size of a pencil so it can't be linked to obesity of any kind. I mean she is REALLY skinny too. It's just nuts how the genetics play into things sometimes!