I did a search on hypertension on this site so it seems like I'm am not alone here and there is quite a resource to draw from. So perhaps I can get some idea what I am looking at with my situation.
I'm only 34, started swimming again nearly a year ago. Partly because I new I had high blood pressure, but mostly I started swimming for overall health and fitness benifits. Since then I have lost roughly 30 pounds. At 6'2" I now weigh about 200 pounds. I would expect that all this work would have some impact on my blood pressure. Especially since I rarely drink, and my diet isn't terrible. I generally eat healthy meals. But the sad truth is that it hasn't changed. Nearly a year ago my BP was 140 over 100. This week... The same. Absolutely no change!!! As a result, my doctor put me on Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor. So naturally I concerned about a few things.
1. Does this mean I will be taking BP medication for the rest of my life?
2. How will this impact my swimming/ability to train? is there a better medication that I should ask about so there are not adverse effects?
3. Do I need to start taking things easier in the pool?
4. Since I have a family history of hypertension does this mean there is really nothing I can do aside from medication?
5. Anything else I need to be concerned about?
Thanks in advance for any advice or helpful comments.
Kevin
See Monday's Wall Street Journal:
online.wsj.com/.../SB10001424052748704350304574638331243027174.html
Regular exercise has been shown to combat the ongoing damage done to cells, tissues and organs that underlies many chronic conditions. Indeed, studies have found that exercise can lower blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, and cut the incidence of Type 2 diabetes.
In a study published in November in Circulation, the medical journal of the American Heart Association, German researchers compared two groups of professional athletes (32 of whom were in their early 20s, and 25 who were middle-aged) with two groups (26 young and 21 middle-aged) who were healthy nonsmokers, but not regular exercisers. The athletes had significantly less erosion in telomeres than their more sedentary counterparts. The study concluded that physical activity has an anti-aging effect at the cellular level, suggesting exercise could prevent aging of the cardiovascular system.
Also:
online.wsj.com/.../SB10001424052748704350304574638550059084962.html
Dr. Williams' studies have shown that exceeding the federally recommended exercise guidelines can reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, glaucoma, diabetes and other diseases by as much as 70% above the benefits of merely meeting the guidelines. "There is no gene or drug discovery that comes close" to the effects of more and more-vigorous exercise, says Dr. Williams, a staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley Calif.
Official exercise guidelines—emanating from groups like the American Heart Association as well as the federal government—typically call for half an hour a day of exercise, including a portion at moderate to high levels of intensity. At 3.5 hours per week, most walkers and even runners would cover fewer than 20 miles.
By contrast, Dr. Williams's research has found progressively greater health benefits for runners topping 30, 40, even 49 miles a week. Dr. Williams assumes—as do his critics—that similar effects would be gained from increased workloads among swimmers, cyclists and other aerobic athletes.
See Monday's Wall Street Journal:
online.wsj.com/.../SB10001424052748704350304574638331243027174.html
Regular exercise has been shown to combat the ongoing damage done to cells, tissues and organs that underlies many chronic conditions. Indeed, studies have found that exercise can lower blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, and cut the incidence of Type 2 diabetes.
In a study published in November in Circulation, the medical journal of the American Heart Association, German researchers compared two groups of professional athletes (32 of whom were in their early 20s, and 25 who were middle-aged) with two groups (26 young and 21 middle-aged) who were healthy nonsmokers, but not regular exercisers. The athletes had significantly less erosion in telomeres than their more sedentary counterparts. The study concluded that physical activity has an anti-aging effect at the cellular level, suggesting exercise could prevent aging of the cardiovascular system.
Also:
online.wsj.com/.../SB10001424052748704350304574638550059084962.html
Dr. Williams' studies have shown that exceeding the federally recommended exercise guidelines can reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, glaucoma, diabetes and other diseases by as much as 70% above the benefits of merely meeting the guidelines. "There is no gene or drug discovery that comes close" to the effects of more and more-vigorous exercise, says Dr. Williams, a staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley Calif.
Official exercise guidelines—emanating from groups like the American Heart Association as well as the federal government—typically call for half an hour a day of exercise, including a portion at moderate to high levels of intensity. At 3.5 hours per week, most walkers and even runners would cover fewer than 20 miles.
By contrast, Dr. Williams's research has found progressively greater health benefits for runners topping 30, 40, even 49 miles a week. Dr. Williams assumes—as do his critics—that similar effects would be gained from increased workloads among swimmers, cyclists and other aerobic athletes.
