High Blood Pressure for 75 yr old man? (doctor, diet, wheelchair)

[tripod]

I was at Walmart with my 75 yr old father and he checked his Blood Pressure and it was 175/108 with pulse rate 53 BPM. He's in seemingly good physical shape having never smoked, doesn't drink and exercises including 10-15 mi riding a 10-speed at a fast pace without getting tired out. His diet is not real bad but the problem is he doesn't believe in doctors and refuses to see one or take mediation saying he's just ordered some natural remedy out of a Herbal catalogue. How concerned should I be?

[KylieEve]

Buy him a blood pressure monitor and have him take his BP in the morning, afternoon and evening. Do this for a few days. If the readings are always higher than 120/80 then get him to a Dr. He may need BP meds.

[Djuna]

Originally Posted by tripod

I was at Walmart with my 75 yr old father and he checked his Blood Pressure and it was 175/108 with pulse rate 53 BPM. He's in seemingly good physical shape having never smoked, doesn't drink and exercises including 10-15 mi riding a 10-speed at a fast pace without getting tired out. His diet is not real bad but the problem is he doesn't believe in doctors and refuses to see one or take mediation saying he's just ordered some natural remedy out of a Herbal catalogue. How concerned should I be?

Yes that blood pressure is high, but I think you should allow your father to do what he wants. He's an adult with all his faculties and it is his right to not see a Dr if that's what he chooses.

[KylieEve]

Originally Posted by Djuna

Yes that blood pressure is high, but I think you should allow your father to do what he wants. He's an adult with all his faculties and it is his right to not see a Dr if that's what he chooses.

Yes but he/she loves his/her father and is concerned.

[Djuna]

Of course he's concerned, but dictating his father's life is not his role. All you can do is give advice and if he takes it, good, if not, leave it be.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by tripod

I was at Walmart with my 75 yr old father and he checked his Blood Pressure and it was 175/108 with pulse rate 53 BPM. He's in seemingly good physical shape having never smoked, doesn't drink and exercises including 10-15 mi riding a 10-speed at a fast pace without getting tired out. His diet is not real bad but the problem is he doesn't believe in doctors and refuses to see one or take mediation saying he's just ordered some natural remedy out of a Herbal catalogue. How concerned should I be?

Point out to your father that if he has a stroke, he will lose his independence. He may end up in a nursing home, and whatever savings he has will get eaten up very quickly that way.

Hypertension is never diagnosed based on one reading, and the cuff at WalMart may not be properly calibrated. As Lisalan suggested, you need multiple readings. If they are not elevated, all is well. If they are high, the medication he needs works well, usually with one pill a day, usually a very cheap generic.

[ino]

Originally Posted by tripod

I was at Walmart with my 75 yr old father and he checked his Blood Pressure and it was 175/108 with pulse rate 53 BPM. He's in seemingly good physical shape having never smoked, doesn't drink and exercises including 10-15 mi riding a 10-speed at a fast pace without getting tired out. His diet is not real bad but the problem is he doesn't believe in doctors and refuses to see one or take mediation saying he's just ordered some natural remedy out of a Herbal catalogue. How concerned should I be?

Not concerned at all . The bloke obviously knows his own mind, and can make decisions for himself. He probly also knows he ain't gunna live to be 150. If his diet is good, and he's not sickly, leave him alone, he's happy and it sounds like he's no idiot. Good on him I say . Keep in mind that our organs etc will tend to deteriorate with age, {the natural way of things} and at 75 I'd say he's doing it pretty well, better than most others around him of similar vintage probly.

[Annie53]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

Point out to your father that if he has a stroke, he will lose his independence. He may end up in a nursing home, and whatever savings he has will get eaten up very quickly that way.

Hypertension is never diagnosed based on one reading, and the cuff at WalMart may not be properly calibrated. As Lisalan suggested, you need multiple readings. If they are not elevated, all is well. If they are high, the medication he needs works well, usually with one pill a day, usually a very cheap generic.

You made me laugh..........you sound like me.

Don't forget........... "you will end up in a wheelchair, drooling and wearing diapers".

That's how I got my ex-husband to quit riding motorcycles................after our divorce, I was sure he would get another motorcycle..........he never did.

[grannynancy]

I agree about the Walmart Cuffs. I monitor mine because I went off BP meds and MY cuff is spot on with the doctors cuff and about 30 points LOWER than our local walmart!

[LittleDolphin]

My blood pressure's always high at Walmart, too. All that chaos raises it--and the cuff there is not the best. Measure at home over a couple of weeks and see how it averages.

BP tends to fluctuate, and at the Dr.'s office it may measure high, too, due to 'white coat syndrome.' So the home monitoring tells the picture a lot better.