Diastolic blood pressure

@emaddinaa Hi welcome to our caring group I use to be in private duty ,home health and have people with bp like this ,we had them see there Dr always

My diastolic # periodically goes over 100 while resting. My O2 rate drops to the 80s while walking. My EKG and sonograms, and Pulmonary function tests are all normal. I do have a positive ANA and Vestibular Migraine diagnosis. My cardiologist said, "I don't know why it's doing this. Perhaps you have some rare disease that we can't even help." That was the end of the appointment. Should I pursue this or let it go?

Welcome to Connect, @evittan. Diastolic blood pressure or the bottom number is of more concern in younger people, because diastolic tends to naturally decrease with age and systolic tends to get higher with age, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. A bottom reading of 100 or higher means the heart is working harder than it should. Left untreated, hypertension can result in aneurysms but that’s not the only complication. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/high-blood-pressure

I’m tagging @maryswims @Drew944 @ladybugmg @staystable @nancyjac @thankful @clark711 and Mentors @hopeful33250 and @predictable as they may be able to share their insights. Since high diastolic blood pressure is more of a concern if other chronic conditions exist as well, I’d urge you to get a second opinion, @evittan. Have you experienced any accompanying symptoms with the high diastolic reading?

I’m 48 with 108/60 - think mine was GNC supplements- unbelievable - checking with genetics next week.

Hi, @evittan. I hope you can get a handle on your diastolic BP with the help of a doctor who cares. My experience includes some issues to consider as you look for a second opinion about your situation. My HMO set me up intelligently, sending me first to a nephrologist, (kidney specialist), and that turned out to be a wiser choice than trooping down the list of available cardiologists. In my case, the nephrologist partnered with an endocrinologist to examine whether hormones might be involved in my hypertension.

Of special interest to them was my adrenal glands which produce adrenalin and cortisol -- both of which inspire responses in a variety of organs and functions, for example, the heart, arteries, and brain. They focused on cysts on my adrenal glands which might be generating excess hormones that pressed my heart to respond as though I was in anxiety or fear. That turned out not to be the case. But they did come up with a rare condition in my kidneys -- the Lyttle Syndrome, a genetic problem that drains potassium from my blood and reclaims none of it, leaving me hypokalemic, with raised blood pressure. A few months later, my cardiologist diagnosed my atrial fibrillation which interferes with the function of my heart, causing another BP problem.

From this experience, you can guess why I am glad to have had a multi-physician medical team -- supported by my personal care provider (PCP) and consisting of nephrologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, and pharmacologist (with incidental support from a neurologist with expertise in the brain's influence on hormones). Costs? Medicare took care of the main costs, and my HMO settled for $130 a month, plus a few hundred dollars a year for medications. Perhaps my adventures will give you some ideas for broadening your medical care and bring other experts to your treatment team.

This was such a smart process to explore what could be wrong. Maybe anyone with high blood pressure should also consult a nephrologist. I am a heart transplant patient with no previous issue with HBP but with blood in my urine. My blood pressure had increased slowly and my nephrologist placed me on an ARB which would help my kidneys. It immediately brought down my BP. Thanks for your post!.

Please pursue at the Mayo Clinic. You will not get an answer like your current one there. Mayo will .oom everywhere for your problem. I am no doctor but it could be an autoimmune disease at which Mayo is in the forefront. Best to you and good luck!

Hello @evittan and welcome to Connect,

As @kanaazpereira has said, a second opinion is a very good idea right now.

High blood pressure as you have noted, is something you need to follow up on. If you do have a rare disease, as your cardiologist has suggested, even more of a reason to seek a second opinion at a multi-disciplined medical system like university medical school or a facility like Mayo Clinic.

Have you ever had a pulmonary stress test? This is where you walk on a treadmill (or pedal on an exercise bike) while wearing a mask over your face that registers your breathing as you walk on the treadmill. Your blood pressure and heart rate are also monitored. Here is a link to an article from the NIH regarding this procedure, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2734442/. Down on this page, there is also a picture of how the test is done.

A major heart center would be the best choice right now. If you live near one I would encourage to go there for a second opinion. Here is a U.S. News report on the major heart centers, perhaps you can find one near to you, https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cardiology-and-heart-surgery

Thank you for your reply. I do experience symptoms when it goes high. I'll be sitting working at my computer, and then I feel odd. I take my BP and it's 123 over 100. I know that sounds impossible. I had it checked in doctor's office. It went to 150 over 130. But usually it's 120 over 60.

Thank you Teresa. The NP Pulmonologist suggested a cardio pulmonary stress test (Is that the right term?), the one where I do the stress test while they draw blood. My rheumotologist, neurologist, and GP were all unfamiliar with this, and they didn't order one. They said the Pulmonologist needs to order it, but the pulmonologist (NP) said she wouldn't since there was no pulmonary problem. I will keep pursuing this.