High blood pressure?

[Z28]

Hello aviators

Just wondering how high does your blood pressure has to be where an aviation doctor tells you it’s too high and not issue a medical at this time?

Looking forward to comments

[co-joe]

If you reference TP13312

For the assessment of medical fitness in pilot applicants, it is important that hypertension be controlled. If pressures remain at or above 160 mmHg systolic or 100 mmHg diastolic, it is strongly recommended that drug treatment be initiated.

Basically if you're above 160/100 they can make you take drugs to manage your hypertension. Most docs will give you a bit of leeway for white coat syndrome at their office. In addition, this will be one of the factors in the STOP BANG calculation that TC medicine may force you to pay for a sleep clinic appointment. This is outside of the CAME, and can come directly from TC.

[pelmet]

If you reference TP13312

For the assessment of medical fitness in pilot applicants, it is important that hypertension be controlled. If pressures remain at or above 160 mmHg systolic or 100 mmHg diastolic, it is strongly recommended that drug treatment be initiated.

Basically if you're above 160/100 they can make you take drugs to manage your hypertension. Most docs will give you a bit of leeway for white coat syndrome at their office. In addition, this will be one of the factors in the STOP BANG calculation that TC medicine may force you to pay for a sleep clinic appointment. This is outside of the CAME, and can come directly from TC.

You can lower your blood pressure during the test. I close my eyes and think of a view of a nice calm beautiful lake at sunset. I was 120/70.

LPa is a big factor in heart attack/stroke. It is getting much more attention now. But you have to specifically request it. Mine was very low.

[porcsord]

I close my eyes and think of a view of a nice calm beautiful lake at sunset. I was 120/70.

This is a little irrelevant if we don't know what it was before your technique.

As to the OP - Things will start getting interesting at the 160/100 - but you can address this before hand with diet, exercise and lifestyle changes and/or medication. There are several approved medications that will reduce your blood pressure and it's best to nip that one in the bud if you start developing hypertension.

Speak with your Doc, come up with a sustainable plan to help reduce your blood pressure (Z2 Cardio, DASH/Mediterranean diet, reduce sodium intake, eat whole foods, reduce alcohol consumption and smoking) - the key is SUSTAINABLE change. If that doesn't work, add in medication as directed by your doc, it will take a few tries to get the right combination and dosage for each individuals case.

[Stinky]

Buy yourself a bluetooth blood pressure monitor from Omron or other brand. Check your blood pressure several times a day and it will keep track in the app. Look for trends. I find reducing sodium and increasing potassium makes a big difference. If it's lower in the morning before coffee, arrange your medical around that time. It's also handy to show your doctor the readings if you tend to be higher at the doctors office but lower at home.

[nohojob]

Personally I won't do the checking pressure several times a day as it could lead to a compulsive behavior. But the diet change and life style will give you good results within 6 months.
I would also get a blood test to check cholesterol level.
It worked for me anyway.

[‘Bob’]

Reducing sodium and increasing potassium is a biggie. While long term lifestyle and genetics can be a huge part of it, water retention has a direct impact on it and we tend to drink more with high sodium intake.

[co-joe]

Reducing sodium and increasing potassium is a biggie. While long term lifestyle and genetics can be a huge part of it, water retention has a direct impact on it and we tend to drink more with high sodium intake.

Decreasing sodium is easy to a point, once you've stopping adding it to meal prep, you start to realize how much is in any processed foods. Supplementing potassium is fairly dangerous, and though it's available over the counter it can really screw you up if you take too much. It's best to get blood tests as a base line for potassium.

[altiplano]

It's counterintuitive, but drinking more and hydrating will result in less water retention. A low sodium indication actually suggests water retention.

[cncpc]

LPa is a big factor in heart attack/stroke. It is getting much more attention now. But you have to specifically request it. Mine was very low.

What is LPa?

[cncpc]

Buy yourself a bluetooth blood pressure monitor from Omron or other brand. Check your blood pressure several times a day and it will keep track in the app. Look for trends. I find reducing sodium and increasing potassium makes a big difference. If it's lower in the morning before coffee, arrange your medical around that time. It's also handy to show your doctor the readings if you tend to be higher at the doctors office but lower at home.

Spot on.

Do not buy a wrist monitor. My doctor says those do not measure BP at the same spot as an upper arm monitor and are not as reliable.

I've had high systolic/low diastolic in the past and now just take telmisartan. Very rare for anything over 160, last was 116/55. And I work out. Keto diet three times a year for six weeks.

[co-joe]

LPa is a big factor in heart attack/stroke. It is getting much more attention now. But you have to specifically request it. Mine was very low.

What is LPa?

I was wondering the same. I saw one influencer refer to is as " L P little a" or LP(a), I believe its a test that will help determine if your hypertension is hereditary or not. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/ ... oprotein-a

Doctors seem fatigued with the whole hypertension thing. It's like pulling teeth to get them to go after the cause of it, when pushing drugs is so easy.