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What are the Latest Guidelines for Blood Pressure? When Do I Need to go to My Doctor and When do I Need to go to the ER
Dr. Kalpesh Solanki shares the updated guidelines for blood pressure, ways to help reduce blood pressure, and if you're experiencing discomfort relating to your blood pressure if you should go to the ER.
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Learn more about Kalpesh (Kal) Solanki, DO
Kalpesh (Kal) Solanki, DO
Dr. Kalpesh Solanki, DO is a cardiology doctor who practices in Ocala, FL. He is 45 years old and has been practicing for 17 years. Dr. Solanki is affiliated with Ocala Regional Medical Center, West Marion Community Hospital, Munroe Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital.Learn more about Kalpesh (Kal) Solanki, DO
Transcription:
Bill Klaproth (Host): Knowing your blood pressure numbers are the key to a longer, healthier life, so what are the latest guidelines when it comes to blood pressure and what do you need to know to keep it in check? Let’s find out with Dr. Kalpesh Solanki, a cardiologist at Ocala Health. This is Helmet of Health a podcast from Ocala Health, I’m Bill Klaproth. So Dr. Solanki, what is blood pressure? Can you explain the upper number and then the lower number?
Dr. Kalpesh Solanki (Guest): Sure, the blood pressure consists of two numbers. The top number, or the upper number, is considered the systolic, and that’s a pressure, kind of basically what the heart generates as the body is kind of used to that maximum wave, that’s kind of what the heart generates in order to make a blood pressure, and then the bottom is the diastolic. The diastolic number is kind of what the body overall, kind of the lowest number – just kind of what the overall body, just before the next heartbeat comes along, what it experiences, just that constant pressure.
Host: So Dr. Solanki, we have the upper and the lower number, the systolic and the diastolic, so what are the current guidelines? Where should those number be?
Dr. Solanki: That’s a great question because the current guidelines actually are changing quite rapidly because data is coming out faster than they can publish the guideline. In general, we used to think that everybody needed to be about 120 systolic over 80 diastolic, but those are more now, we use for healthier people, younger people, but once we start to get older and once we start adding other diseases, we are now allowing blood pressures to start to creep up a little big higher into the 130s/85s and also as high as the 140s/85 and even up to upper 80s, just under 90. So because of diseases that we have, sometimes our body cannot tolerable a blood pressure of 120/80, and therefore as people get dehydrated, those blood pressures can fall dramatically and end up causing a fall, a hip fracture, and other things, so the guidelines are rapidly changing just because we really don’t know the right number for everybody, and unfortunately everybody has a different number that we just need to kind of take an individual aspect on.
Host: So everyone is a bit different and we know that blood pressure fluctuates. So let me ask you this, it sounds like what you’re saying is, if we’re in the 130s, we’re okay, but once we get into the 140s, 150s, that’s when trouble starts, is that the correct way to look at it?
Dr. Solanki: Definitely need to start to look at things, addressing lifestyle, addressing medications, addressing other things that definitely need to look into to find out why is our blood pressure creeping up, but also if we’re feeling certain things too because that can also give us a little bit of a concern that we need to adjust that blood pressure either higher or lower depending on if you’re feeling dizzy, if you have headaches and things like that so – but yes.
Host: So you just mentioned being dizzy or headaches – if someone is experiencing those, would that be a call to the doctor? And would there ever be a symptom or something that we should know of that would be a trip to the ER?
Dr. Solanki: Definitely passing out spells or extreme dizziness. When we normally are sitting or we’re laying in bed and the doorbell rings or something happens and we get up really quickly, we can always have a brief episode of dizziness or lightheadedness and that will go away and that’s kind of normal, but if something persists for more period of time, then definitely something you want to call your physician on and get addressed.
Host: Well that’s really good information to know and to be aware of. So we hear the term, know your numbers. Can you explain to us why it’s very, very important that we do know our numbers, especially blood pressure?
Dr. Solanki: Well that’s basically the reason because you want to know what that blood pressure is based on what your medical problems are because again, not everybody is always going to be the 120/80. If you have a very frail, older, very petite lady, her blood pressure may normally be in the systolic in the 90s and we don’t want to go to 120, we don’t want to go to 150, but vice versa, if you have gentleman that’s a little bit, has some blockages, a little bit – has valve problems, heart problems. We may want their blood pressure to be close to the 130s/80 so that they don’t drop too perceptibly and then end up passing out and falling and hurting themselves because they’re on other medications that can make them very, very serious and very, very dangerous. So knowing your number is important and the way to get that number is by going to your physician and them understanding all your medical problems and having a good idea and making that number specific for you as an individual rather than just giving off a number, and that’s how the new guidelines have been slowly, slowly changing because we’re not just giving a number, a blank number for everybody, we’re giving numbers based on medical diseases associated with them.
Host: Well that’s really important to know and thanks for all the great information Dr. Solanki, we appreciate it. For more information on blood pressure and to get connected with one of our providers, head over to ocalahealthsystem.com and if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. That would do our blood pressure some good, and be sure to check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Helmet of Health from Ocala Health. I’m Bill Klaproth, thanks for listening.
Bill Klaproth (Host): Knowing your blood pressure numbers are the key to a longer, healthier life, so what are the latest guidelines when it comes to blood pressure and what do you need to know to keep it in check? Let’s find out with Dr. Kalpesh Solanki, a cardiologist at Ocala Health. This is Helmet of Health a podcast from Ocala Health, I’m Bill Klaproth. So Dr. Solanki, what is blood pressure? Can you explain the upper number and then the lower number?
Dr. Kalpesh Solanki (Guest): Sure, the blood pressure consists of two numbers. The top number, or the upper number, is considered the systolic, and that’s a pressure, kind of basically what the heart generates as the body is kind of used to that maximum wave, that’s kind of what the heart generates in order to make a blood pressure, and then the bottom is the diastolic. The diastolic number is kind of what the body overall, kind of the lowest number – just kind of what the overall body, just before the next heartbeat comes along, what it experiences, just that constant pressure.
Host: So Dr. Solanki, we have the upper and the lower number, the systolic and the diastolic, so what are the current guidelines? Where should those number be?
Dr. Solanki: That’s a great question because the current guidelines actually are changing quite rapidly because data is coming out faster than they can publish the guideline. In general, we used to think that everybody needed to be about 120 systolic over 80 diastolic, but those are more now, we use for healthier people, younger people, but once we start to get older and once we start adding other diseases, we are now allowing blood pressures to start to creep up a little big higher into the 130s/85s and also as high as the 140s/85 and even up to upper 80s, just under 90. So because of diseases that we have, sometimes our body cannot tolerable a blood pressure of 120/80, and therefore as people get dehydrated, those blood pressures can fall dramatically and end up causing a fall, a hip fracture, and other things, so the guidelines are rapidly changing just because we really don’t know the right number for everybody, and unfortunately everybody has a different number that we just need to kind of take an individual aspect on.
Host: So everyone is a bit different and we know that blood pressure fluctuates. So let me ask you this, it sounds like what you’re saying is, if we’re in the 130s, we’re okay, but once we get into the 140s, 150s, that’s when trouble starts, is that the correct way to look at it?
Dr. Solanki: Definitely need to start to look at things, addressing lifestyle, addressing medications, addressing other things that definitely need to look into to find out why is our blood pressure creeping up, but also if we’re feeling certain things too because that can also give us a little bit of a concern that we need to adjust that blood pressure either higher or lower depending on if you’re feeling dizzy, if you have headaches and things like that so – but yes.
Host: So you just mentioned being dizzy or headaches – if someone is experiencing those, would that be a call to the doctor? And would there ever be a symptom or something that we should know of that would be a trip to the ER?
Dr. Solanki: Definitely passing out spells or extreme dizziness. When we normally are sitting or we’re laying in bed and the doorbell rings or something happens and we get up really quickly, we can always have a brief episode of dizziness or lightheadedness and that will go away and that’s kind of normal, but if something persists for more period of time, then definitely something you want to call your physician on and get addressed.
Host: Well that’s really good information to know and to be aware of. So we hear the term, know your numbers. Can you explain to us why it’s very, very important that we do know our numbers, especially blood pressure?
Dr. Solanki: Well that’s basically the reason because you want to know what that blood pressure is based on what your medical problems are because again, not everybody is always going to be the 120/80. If you have a very frail, older, very petite lady, her blood pressure may normally be in the systolic in the 90s and we don’t want to go to 120, we don’t want to go to 150, but vice versa, if you have gentleman that’s a little bit, has some blockages, a little bit – has valve problems, heart problems. We may want their blood pressure to be close to the 130s/80 so that they don’t drop too perceptibly and then end up passing out and falling and hurting themselves because they’re on other medications that can make them very, very serious and very, very dangerous. So knowing your number is important and the way to get that number is by going to your physician and them understanding all your medical problems and having a good idea and making that number specific for you as an individual rather than just giving off a number, and that’s how the new guidelines have been slowly, slowly changing because we’re not just giving a number, a blank number for everybody, we’re giving numbers based on medical diseases associated with them.
Host: Well that’s really important to know and thanks for all the great information Dr. Solanki, we appreciate it. For more information on blood pressure and to get connected with one of our providers, head over to ocalahealthsystem.com and if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. That would do our blood pressure some good, and be sure to check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Helmet of Health from Ocala Health. I’m Bill Klaproth, thanks for listening.