Feeling the pressure

A month ago I attended the Health Centre for my annual check-up – a luxury that all of us of a certain age may have. A week before, Nurse Julie had taken some blood samples and this time she was pleased to tell me that all the results were 'normal'. She was particularly pleased with my cholesterol result of 4.2, just over a year after I'd stopped taking statins.  "You must be eating pretty healthily," she remarked.  Yes indeed; Slimming World has dramatically changed my eating habits.

Next Julie checked my weight and that was fine too – a little above my Slimming World target range of 11st:4lb - 11st:10lb – but actually a couple of pounds lighter than last year. Hay ho, I was on a roll!

The final check was my blood pressure. This was going to be interesting. Last time it had been a healthy 120:80, but that was only a few weeks after my doctor declared me free of hypertension (following my weight loss with Slimming World) and told me to stop taking Lisinopril. And the result this time?... 145:84. We both looked glum and Julie tested it again, but there was no mistake. My systolic pressure was definitely high and the diastolic was hardly great.

It might, Julie explained, just be a 'blip' so she loaned me a blood pressure monitor and asked me to check myself every day or so. If the systolic pressure remained above 140 I was to book another appointment. The results were interesting:

date    time   sys dia
Oct 9 1200 145 84   << exactly the same as the Health Centre result
      10 0900  140 75
      11 0845  134 72
      11 1710  132 69
      12 1230  140 79
      13 1400  138 74
      14 1645  138 75
      15 1100  148 73
      16 1130  140 73
      17 1350  142 75
      18 1100  141 73
      19 1100  142 75
      20 1800 124 65
      21 1720 131 69
      22 1650 118 72
      24 0800 129 73

All but 3 results had been 140 or below, so I cancelled my nurse appointment. I was, however, sufficiently concerned that I followed Julie's advice and bought my own blood pressure monitor.

I chose this one for £14.95. Adding a birthday present for one of my granddaughters ensured that I wouldn't have to pay postage – so hardly a vast outlay for some peace of mind.

I am now resolved to check my blood pressure weekly, around mid-morning. Last Friday's was 128:75 which is much better. I'll also try harder to get my weight back into the Slimming World range, as I know that (for me) there is a definite link between weight and blood pressure. Maybe less salt on my chips or rice too.  Yes, that would be sensible.