Comments on FatBlokeThin - The Fat Blokes Guide To Losing Weight!: The black dog has passed.....

Hey, first visit to your blog, and wow, congratula...

2007-08-06T22:10:00.000+01:00

Hey, first visit to your blog, and wow, congratulations on the BP. That is a fantastic achievement.

What it means is you've gone from hypertensive and at increased health risk of all sorts of nasties, to normal.

Like iwbo said, the bottom number (the diastolic) is on the upper end of normal, but it is still classed as normal.

If you think of your circulatory system as hosepipes running through your body, taking blood to all the various bits, your heart has to pump to pump that blood through there.

If your arteries get furred up (atherosclerotic) they tend to harden (think of the old hosepipe getting hard and less flexible) and don't distend as easily when blood comes through. This increases the pressure inside the pipe. Also, the pipes narrow due to all the furring (plaques), making it more difficult to get stuff through, so the heart has to work harder.

The systolic BP (top number, now 119) is the maximum pressure when your heart has just contracted and sent out fresh blood through system. The diastolic BP (bottom number, now 86), is at the low point, just before the heart beats again. This is an indication of your BP at 'rest' if you like.

Any number of things are likely to up your BP, including exercise, smoking, caffeine, even talking, but you will see greater changes in the 'active' or systolic BP. The reason you need to worry when your diastolic is high is that this means even at 'rest' your system is so bunged up that blood can't get through easily.

Some of those plaques bunging up your arteries could break off and get carried on with the blood. This could cause a stroke, or a heart attack, depending on where they get stuck further down the pipeline.

That's why those numbers are important, and that's why what you have achieved is so fantastic. You've reversed your risk. Well done and keep up the good work.

Angie

(My blog: http://blubberbegone.wordpress.com)

Hello! You're back. GREAT news on the lowered BP....

2007-08-06T17:24:00.000+01:00

Hello! You're back. GREAT news on the lowered BP. Fabulous.

You've made some awesome progress!!! Your BP is a...

2007-08-06T15:28:00.000+01:00

You've made some awesome progress!!! Your BP is awesome. That's a fantastic change in it. Keep up the fantastic work.
I just realized that I never sent you my starting weight. I'll get that sent this morning.

Congrats on the lower blood pressure. I've always ...

2007-08-06T07:02:00.000+01:00

Congrats on the lower blood pressure. I've always had good pressure, but high BP runs in my family so I'm afraid of it going up!

~Spunk

I can relate to the black dog. Glad you are better...

2007-08-04T03:49:00.000+01:00

I can relate to the black dog. Glad you are better

good better best, never let it rest, until the goo...

2007-08-03T19:02:00.000+01:00

good better best, never let it rest, until the good becomes the better and the better becomes the best...

you are doing wonderfully! remember...living is about the technical difficulties....

HUGZ

k
:)

Lady rose - you telepathic?? I'm sure you commente...

2007-08-03T18:54:00.000+01:00

Lady rose - you telepathic?? I'm sure you commented before I'd finished the post!!lol! Thanks for the comments, things are much brighter today.

IWBO - thanks for the explanation, she started going on about the tides when I asked at the doctors and I just switched off! Doh! I see I am not out of the woods but going in the right direction is good.

Great news on the BP - that was one of my motivati...

2007-08-03T18:48:00.000+01:00

Great news on the BP - that was one of my motivations for lowering my weight.

You said "I don't have the first idea what the hell these figures mean but its lower, so that's good, isn't it??"

Yes, it's good.

The first number - technically called the systolic pressure is basically the peak of pressure during the "thump" of the heartbeat. The second number is the low point between the beats, or diastolic pressure.

The second number is the one to worry about. 70=good, 80=careful, 90=borderline on medication.

You are definitely getting healtheir every day - w...

2007-08-03T18:33:00.000+01:00

You are definitely getting healtheir every day - what an improvement! **three cheers** :)

We all get in a slump sometimes. Most of mine happen for no apparent reason *shrugs* -- my advice is keep your head, carry on, and eventually you come out the other side.

Dale Carnegie definitely has some tidbits of wisdom.

Health and Happiness, Lady Rose