In my view, BP is not a one-size-fits-all baseline. There are many critical factors to consider on an individual basis. Doctors refuse to do this and lump everyone together no matter the age, body type or metabolic condition nor lifestyles.
I am sick of the constant "drugs only" for treatment of any ailment or problem. I am not taking any drugs for any reason and figure I will be healthier in the long run. But if not, there is no proof anywhere that says taking any drug will make a difference.
Besides, there are NO doctors that can explain everything in the drugs they prescribe, what are all the risks, the ingredients and longer term risks. What exactly do these drugs do in my body? They do not freaking know or won't say. The supposedly smartest people on the planet are CLUELESS. You call that health care?
Yes—every drug has potential side effects +/- toxic ingredients.
I’m teaching my 94-year old mom this. She’s experiencing some intermittent vertigo (I check her BP to make sure hypotension isn’t causing it) and I gave her meclizine. She complained of dry mouth. Now she decides if the dizziness is severe enough to “take the pill” or if she just waits it out, moves slowly, and most importantly stays hydrated. She almost never wants the pill!
I agree with you. Not every disease require drugs. And even I'm against prescribing unnecessary meds. But what I've seen is some patients don't get this point. They come to the hospital with mild fever asking for a intravenous medication. The fever which doesn't even require oral medication, which will be relieved by tepid sponging. And they want this unnecessary prick and medication flowing through their veins. I'm scared that in the future days, it will become the new norm!
I 100% agree... I got put through a lot as a child, and as a result my body doesn't quite work right. As the Dr at the children's hospital told me towards the end, "Your body is basically the Titanic. It tank, we brought it back up to the surface, pumped the mud out, and slammed it in gear. It may look the same, but it will never work the same ever again."
The "one size" approach is VERY dangerous to my health with this body, and I've gotten bitten a few times when doctors try to 'correct' what my body thinks is the right thing to do.
Our mom's blood pressure always went sky-high when she first arrived at a doctor's office. We started asking the office assistant to take her blood pressure at the end of the visit and got more accurate readings.
My former dentist insisted in checking BP. So I'm in the chair awaiting a crown prep after having a couple glasses of wine the night before and 2 cups of coffee immediately before the appointment. Her assistant checks my BP and says, Scott, your BP is a little high.
FAA recognizes it as “white coat syndrome”. Hypertension can end a career so numerous provisions are made for accuracy. A captain’s physical condition is also considered, not just a “fitsall” number
My wife's first nephrologist appointment had a lot of drama because the nephro's BP machine said she had high BP and he wanted her to start meds immediately. Despite her weight, she's never had high BP. He insisted his machine was right, even taking it multiple times with the same machine and wouldn't take it manually.
We drove to her GP's office immediately afterwards, where it was measured manually and was completely normal, as EVERY one of her readings has been. We even measured it at home for 2 weeks, normal, normal, normal.
Where do you live that you could "[drive] to her GP's office immediately afterwards"? It takes me a MINIMUM of SIX WEEKS to get an MD appointment (I'm on Medicare in Phoenix, AZ). I REALLY NEED a doctor now, and it just can't be done!
Florida. We see an independent doctor. Not part of any medical / hospital group.
He reserves about 1/3rd-1/2 of his daily schedule for walk-ins. He still uses paper charts (no computers except for billing). It's not a regular practice. Rock music is usually blaring in the hallway. He'll just yell out the door when he needs something, "Nurse! Bloody blood blood in room 6!" Every patient has his personal cell #.
He's never written a single script for a statin drug, nor has he ever recommended any of the CV19 shots. On the latter, he was cautiously optimistic, but wanted to see the study data before he'd ever recommend it. And once the data started coming out, it was a hard NO from him.
Your doctor sounds magnificent. If Arizona gets any more woke, we may have to flee to Florida. My husband only escaped the jab by retiring (thank God!). Keep the faith.
My high blood pressure came from unnecessary stressful relationship. Got rid of the relationship, got rid of the stress, got rid of high blood pressure. Have white coat syndrome.
Dr Dhand, your videos are extremely helpful! Thank you.
My 94-year old mom was discharged from the hospital, after suffering renal failure, on Hydralazine 10 mg TID. I am an RN. I kept a watch on her BP, and wanted to maintain it higher than the current 120/80 guidance, to perfuse her brain and kidneys! I only give the med once daily and she’s staying 130-140 systolic at home.
Also agree with others’ advice that manual BP cuffs are used. I noticed two clinics here are now doing that, and they wait until the patient has settled a bit before taking the BP measurement. Marvelous!
Have to admit I get annoyed when I see all those shills/trolls or otherwise jealous resentful people using the fact that you sell your own formulated products to hit out at you. Nothing can take away from this kind of service you provide to your fellow man. Yes, there’re a few people out there that already have a sense of this. A UK-based friend was about to move to the US and visited her GP for a final time. The GP noted she was now 60, so suggested he put her on anti-hypertensives (as a prophylactic I guess) even though her BP was normal. She declined, but all too many fall for the expert’s line.
My mother-in-law, my heart and, and my father have all had issues with being treated too aggressively for high blood pressure. Luckily my husband had the sense to stop taking his meds because he was getting so dizzy and is advocating to get his 98yo mom off hers since she is also having dizziness and falls. My dad is still stubborn but I keep encouraging him to ask his doctor if he really still needs it after actually passing out a couple of times. I am glad to know this know before I start getting prescriptions. Thank you for your informative posts!
Love your posts because you always point out positive ways of resolving issues that can be complex or just plain sad. Too many people come on here to issue doom and gloom without offering any ideas on moving forward positively. You do things differently which is a breath of fresh air. Raises other issues regarding over treatment because I think it happens with a lot of diseases/dysfunction. I was taking thyroid meds when I was younger but found out from blood tests that, as I got older, I now need none — because my body’s requirements (for some reason) have changed. Nice post to remember for everyone who is on repeated prescriptions to get checked regularly and seek second and third opinions if they are concerned
My standard which is FAA standard is 155/95. This goes for all three classifications of FAA medical certificate per FAR part 71. A friend that I went through flight school with went for a flight physical, he is a retired Marine, thin and a marathon runner. His AME (aeromedical examiner) was also his regular MD (horrible idea). Dr Pill wrote John a script for BP meds. John asked what’s up with my BP? Dr Pill told him that his BP was on point but “you’re getting to that point in life where we have to be proactive”. John told him to pound sand. So now, follow the money trail and consider that even a class 3 medical (private pilot) requires bloodwork every 6 months after commencement of even diuretics.
Fellow pilot here. I like my AME... he's about as laid-back as it gets as long as something isn't seriously wrong. and yes, my AME and GP are totally separate. For GOOD reason.
Yesterday, as my wife was being prepped for brain surgery, I asked if they had reviewed her meds since she is on a blood thinner.
They had not. When they confirmed she had been given Eliquis 12 hours earlier, the cancelled the surgery. The neurosurgeon said she probably would have died on the table if he gad operated without knowing that.
Today, I had to intervene to ask them to NOT give her insulin. Their “usual” protocol is to give insulin to any Type II diabetic if their blood sugar is high. I showed them her CGM data showing it always comes down, so they held the dose. A couple of hours later, her sugar level was fine.
Thank you. My doc kept wanting to up my dose and add pills... why.. everything i went for a checkup my BP went way up... why? I hate doctors.. have had 2 near deaths at the hands of doctors.. my whole body freaks out like a dog going to the vet... I kept records of my BP at home and they ignored it.. I feel there is something right about insulin resistance... I am overweight ... so I fired those docs and got a new one... no one wants to help me loose wieght or check my diet... so I am doing it myself... plan to loose 30 lbs and eat, play better.. and toss the pills.
Was prescribed BP medication in mid-sixties. Am slightly overweight. Didn't like the idea of it and took myself off them after 6 months. Found an Ayurvedic over-the-counter remedy, was also advised to take Vitamin D, potassium and magnesium, and it's been normal consistently ever since (four years). Of course, high BP has almost always another reason, which could be called 'stress' of some kind. So I looked at that too. Always look at that! It's a chance to discover something about your functioning in the world that the medical symptoms alert you too. An invitation to look within, and if you follow that, there is improvement, of your symptoms and your life as a whole.
I am so very confused by blood pressure "norms". My blood pressure spikes to the 180's when I go to a d.o.t. test. It hovers around 150/70 without meds. When I went to urgency care for food poisoning they wouldn't let me go until my bp was over 150. The d.o.t. says it should never go over 140. When I was pregnant in the 1980's 130/70 was normal but now days they say 110/?? is normal. Have they lowered the "normal" systolic to sell more meds? And why dont they pay attention to that important diastolic number anymore?
"They" have lowered the BP "normal" in the last few years and tend to look at 120/80 as normal, with 130/80-90 as high. I personally don't think that's reasonable, but that's what doctors are looking for. The fact that doctors are mentioning "prophylactic" treatment with meds is nuts, when diet, exercise, and supplements can be safely used to treat that issue.
≥130/80 → reclassified 46% of U.S. adults as hypertensive.
That 2017 shift alone reclassified 31 million more Americans as needing “lifestyle changes or medication” — overnight. Pharma companies gained millions of new long-term customers per guideline change.
My personal testimony to this scam is: a year ago my doctor wanted me to get tested for a pacemaker because my heart rate was always too low (30’s-40’s). I stopped the 2 BP pills he has given me for 10 years, and not only did my BP not substantially change, my heart rate returned to normal.
So to clarify, you were hypotensive, your doctor had you on meds for *hypertension*. Your BP went too low so instead of first ditching the meds he recommended the meds AND a pacemaker? Stepping on the brakes while punching the gas? I call malpractice.
In my view, BP is not a one-size-fits-all baseline. There are many critical factors to consider on an individual basis. Doctors refuse to do this and lump everyone together no matter the age, body type or metabolic condition nor lifestyles.
I am sick of the constant "drugs only" for treatment of any ailment or problem. I am not taking any drugs for any reason and figure I will be healthier in the long run. But if not, there is no proof anywhere that says taking any drug will make a difference.
Besides, there are NO doctors that can explain everything in the drugs they prescribe, what are all the risks, the ingredients and longer term risks. What exactly do these drugs do in my body? They do not freaking know or won't say. The supposedly smartest people on the planet are CLUELESS. You call that health care?
Not you doc Dhand...I expect you are 1 in 1,000.
Thank you for your kind words! Absolutely-- never a one-size-fits-all in medicine!
"The supposed smartest people", exactly! Or one could say "The ones who delusionally think they're the smartest".
Yes—every drug has potential side effects +/- toxic ingredients.
I’m teaching my 94-year old mom this. She’s experiencing some intermittent vertigo (I check her BP to make sure hypotension isn’t causing it) and I gave her meclizine. She complained of dry mouth. Now she decides if the dizziness is severe enough to “take the pill” or if she just waits it out, moves slowly, and most importantly stays hydrated. She almost never wants the pill!
I agree with you. Not every disease require drugs. And even I'm against prescribing unnecessary meds. But what I've seen is some patients don't get this point. They come to the hospital with mild fever asking for a intravenous medication. The fever which doesn't even require oral medication, which will be relieved by tepid sponging. And they want this unnecessary prick and medication flowing through their veins. I'm scared that in the future days, it will become the new norm!
I 100% agree... I got put through a lot as a child, and as a result my body doesn't quite work right. As the Dr at the children's hospital told me towards the end, "Your body is basically the Titanic. It tank, we brought it back up to the surface, pumped the mud out, and slammed it in gear. It may look the same, but it will never work the same ever again."
The "one size" approach is VERY dangerous to my health with this body, and I've gotten bitten a few times when doctors try to 'correct' what my body thinks is the right thing to do.
Our mom's blood pressure always went sky-high when she first arrived at a doctor's office. We started asking the office assistant to take her blood pressure at the end of the visit and got more accurate readings.
Very common, sensible to get that 2nd reading!
My former dentist insisted in checking BP. So I'm in the chair awaiting a crown prep after having a couple glasses of wine the night before and 2 cups of coffee immediately before the appointment. Her assistant checks my BP and says, Scott, your BP is a little high.
YA THINK??
FAA recognizes it as “white coat syndrome”. Hypertension can end a career so numerous provisions are made for accuracy. A captain’s physical condition is also considered, not just a “fitsall” number
Absolutely insist on them taking a manual BP.
My wife's first nephrologist appointment had a lot of drama because the nephro's BP machine said she had high BP and he wanted her to start meds immediately. Despite her weight, she's never had high BP. He insisted his machine was right, even taking it multiple times with the same machine and wouldn't take it manually.
We drove to her GP's office immediately afterwards, where it was measured manually and was completely normal, as EVERY one of her readings has been. We even measured it at home for 2 weeks, normal, normal, normal.
Thanks for sharing this story here!
Where do you live that you could "[drive] to her GP's office immediately afterwards"? It takes me a MINIMUM of SIX WEEKS to get an MD appointment (I'm on Medicare in Phoenix, AZ). I REALLY NEED a doctor now, and it just can't be done!
Florida. We see an independent doctor. Not part of any medical / hospital group.
He reserves about 1/3rd-1/2 of his daily schedule for walk-ins. He still uses paper charts (no computers except for billing). It's not a regular practice. Rock music is usually blaring in the hallway. He'll just yell out the door when he needs something, "Nurse! Bloody blood blood in room 6!" Every patient has his personal cell #.
He's never written a single script for a statin drug, nor has he ever recommended any of the CV19 shots. On the latter, he was cautiously optimistic, but wanted to see the study data before he'd ever recommend it. And once the data started coming out, it was a hard NO from him.
Your doctor sounds magnificent. If Arizona gets any more woke, we may have to flee to Florida. My husband only escaped the jab by retiring (thank God!). Keep the faith.
My high blood pressure came from unnecessary stressful relationship. Got rid of the relationship, got rid of the stress, got rid of high blood pressure. Have white coat syndrome.
Dr Dhand, your videos are extremely helpful! Thank you.
My 94-year old mom was discharged from the hospital, after suffering renal failure, on Hydralazine 10 mg TID. I am an RN. I kept a watch on her BP, and wanted to maintain it higher than the current 120/80 guidance, to perfuse her brain and kidneys! I only give the med once daily and she’s staying 130-140 systolic at home.
Also agree with others’ advice that manual BP cuffs are used. I noticed two clinics here are now doing that, and they wait until the patient has settled a bit before taking the BP measurement. Marvelous!
Thanks for your comment-- and happy to be able to help you!
Have to admit I get annoyed when I see all those shills/trolls or otherwise jealous resentful people using the fact that you sell your own formulated products to hit out at you. Nothing can take away from this kind of service you provide to your fellow man. Yes, there’re a few people out there that already have a sense of this. A UK-based friend was about to move to the US and visited her GP for a final time. The GP noted she was now 60, so suggested he put her on anti-hypertensives (as a prophylactic I guess) even though her BP was normal. She declined, but all too many fall for the expert’s line.
Very valuable information! Thank you. Dr. Dhand!
My mother-in-law, my heart and, and my father have all had issues with being treated too aggressively for high blood pressure. Luckily my husband had the sense to stop taking his meds because he was getting so dizzy and is advocating to get his 98yo mom off hers since she is also having dizziness and falls. My dad is still stubborn but I keep encouraging him to ask his doctor if he really still needs it after actually passing out a couple of times. I am glad to know this know before I start getting prescriptions. Thank you for your informative posts!
Love your posts because you always point out positive ways of resolving issues that can be complex or just plain sad. Too many people come on here to issue doom and gloom without offering any ideas on moving forward positively. You do things differently which is a breath of fresh air. Raises other issues regarding over treatment because I think it happens with a lot of diseases/dysfunction. I was taking thyroid meds when I was younger but found out from blood tests that, as I got older, I now need none — because my body’s requirements (for some reason) have changed. Nice post to remember for everyone who is on repeated prescriptions to get checked regularly and seek second and third opinions if they are concerned
I’m a pharmacist. I have been screaming for 30 years to anyone who would listen that hypertension is a symptom, not a disease.
My standard which is FAA standard is 155/95. This goes for all three classifications of FAA medical certificate per FAR part 71. A friend that I went through flight school with went for a flight physical, he is a retired Marine, thin and a marathon runner. His AME (aeromedical examiner) was also his regular MD (horrible idea). Dr Pill wrote John a script for BP meds. John asked what’s up with my BP? Dr Pill told him that his BP was on point but “you’re getting to that point in life where we have to be proactive”. John told him to pound sand. So now, follow the money trail and consider that even a class 3 medical (private pilot) requires bloodwork every 6 months after commencement of even diuretics.
Fellow pilot here. I like my AME... he's about as laid-back as it gets as long as something isn't seriously wrong. and yes, my AME and GP are totally separate. For GOOD reason.
Yesterday, as my wife was being prepped for brain surgery, I asked if they had reviewed her meds since she is on a blood thinner.
They had not. When they confirmed she had been given Eliquis 12 hours earlier, the cancelled the surgery. The neurosurgeon said she probably would have died on the table if he gad operated without knowing that.
Today, I had to intervene to ask them to NOT give her insulin. Their “usual” protocol is to give insulin to any Type II diabetic if their blood sugar is high. I showed them her CGM data showing it always comes down, so they held the dose. A couple of hours later, her sugar level was fine.
Advocacy is good and can save lives.
This happened to my parent. I had to refuse blood pressure meds vehemently in the hospital to avoid a crisis.
Thank you. My doc kept wanting to up my dose and add pills... why.. everything i went for a checkup my BP went way up... why? I hate doctors.. have had 2 near deaths at the hands of doctors.. my whole body freaks out like a dog going to the vet... I kept records of my BP at home and they ignored it.. I feel there is something right about insulin resistance... I am overweight ... so I fired those docs and got a new one... no one wants to help me loose wieght or check my diet... so I am doing it myself... plan to loose 30 lbs and eat, play better.. and toss the pills.
Was prescribed BP medication in mid-sixties. Am slightly overweight. Didn't like the idea of it and took myself off them after 6 months. Found an Ayurvedic over-the-counter remedy, was also advised to take Vitamin D, potassium and magnesium, and it's been normal consistently ever since (four years). Of course, high BP has almost always another reason, which could be called 'stress' of some kind. So I looked at that too. Always look at that! It's a chance to discover something about your functioning in the world that the medical symptoms alert you too. An invitation to look within, and if you follow that, there is improvement, of your symptoms and your life as a whole.
I am so very confused by blood pressure "norms". My blood pressure spikes to the 180's when I go to a d.o.t. test. It hovers around 150/70 without meds. When I went to urgency care for food poisoning they wouldn't let me go until my bp was over 150. The d.o.t. says it should never go over 140. When I was pregnant in the 1980's 130/70 was normal but now days they say 110/?? is normal. Have they lowered the "normal" systolic to sell more meds? And why dont they pay attention to that important diastolic number anymore?
I find the DOT number interesting. FAA standard is 155/95 and that is a *guideline* and not a hard limit.
"They" have lowered the BP "normal" in the last few years and tend to look at 120/80 as normal, with 130/80-90 as high. I personally don't think that's reasonable, but that's what doctors are looking for. The fact that doctors are mentioning "prophylactic" treatment with meds is nuts, when diet, exercise, and supplements can be safely used to treat that issue.
Absolutely, "normal" BP has been lowered I believe 3 maybe 4 times in the last 20 years?
2017 ACC/AHA new guideline
≥130/80 → reclassified 46% of U.S. adults as hypertensive.
That 2017 shift alone reclassified 31 million more Americans as needing “lifestyle changes or medication” — overnight. Pharma companies gained millions of new long-term customers per guideline change.
BP drug sales saw double-digit increases.
Yup, read that as well. Guess they had to make up ground since the patents on statins ran out.
My personal testimony to this scam is: a year ago my doctor wanted me to get tested for a pacemaker because my heart rate was always too low (30’s-40’s). I stopped the 2 BP pills he has given me for 10 years, and not only did my BP not substantially change, my heart rate returned to normal.
So to clarify, you were hypotensive, your doctor had you on meds for *hypertension*. Your BP went too low so instead of first ditching the meds he recommended the meds AND a pacemaker? Stepping on the brakes while punching the gas? I call malpractice.