Is it okay to have a blood pressure of 140/80 mmHg at age 33?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 33-year-old male. My weight is 189 pounds, and my height is 5 feet 11 inches. I am an almost healthy guy, but my blood pressure readings are elevated most of the time. Sometimes it is 140/80 mmHg, 139/89 mmHg, 129/90 mmHg, and today, 130/91 mmHg.

But the thing is, my BP (blood pressure) never goes up more than 140/80 mmHg. I have never seen my blood pressure at 120/80 mmHg. My cholesterol level is in the high normal range. I do not drink. I drink beer only on weekends. I eat chicken and fish three times a week.

I often have a headache and pressure on my head. I do not have chest pain at all. I am having pain in my left shoulder, and it radiates to my left hand. I did an EKG (electrocardiogram) today, and the doctor said my EKG is normal. I need your advice.

Should I start medication for BP?
Or should I control my diet and exercise?
I am scared that I might have a stroke or a heart attack. Everybody says if I start having BP medication, then I should take it for my lifetime. Is it true?

Please suggest.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read your query and can understand your concern.

According to the latest JNC8 (eighth joint national committee) guidelines, hypertension is defined as BP (blood pressure) of more than 140/90 mmHg. Most of your readings are less than that or just slightly elevated.

Here is my recommendation:

Restrict your salt intake to 2300 mg/day.
Work on weight loss (I noticed that your BMI (body mass index) is 35).
Losing 15 lbs will most likely lower your blood pressure to less than 140/90 mmHg at all times.
What you have is referred to as " pre-hypertension". Give yourself six months.

Meanwhile, monitor your blood pressure. If you cannot achieve this goal and your BP is higher than 140/90 mmHg even by a few points, I suggest taking an antihypertensive agent.

Regarding your concern about a heart attack or stroke, I was trying to calculate your ten-year risk of having a cardiovascular event. Still, I do not have the following information:

Are you a smoker (cigarettes)?
What is your ethnicity?
Has any male in your family had a heart attack before age 50, or any female before age 60?

After looking into the blood work (the attachment was removed to protect the patient’s identity), I assume that you do not have diabetes.

I hope this answers your query.

Let me know if I need to assist you further.

Thank you.