學會正確量血壓:避免「假性高血壓」一場誤會

High blood pressure can easily lead toHeart and blood vesselsDespite having hypertension, about half of the population is unaware that they have it; and even among those who know their blood pressure is high, only one in two people manages it properly.
The vast majority of people with hypertension are asymptomatic. There is no strong correlation between dizziness, headaches, stiff neck, and high blood pressure. The only way to detect whether you have high blood pressure is through repeated measurements.
Most people have the highest blood pressure when they wake up in the morning, so I often advise older people to have a blood pressure monitor and measure their blood pressure every morning upon waking. It would be even better if they could measure it twice a day, morning and evening. Nowadays, with advanced technology, most electronic blood pressure monitors are certified and quite reliable.
Arm-type blood pressure monitors are more stable than wrist-type monitors, with less variation in data between repeated measurements, and are relatively more accurate. Elderly individuals without a blood pressure monitor should have their blood pressure checked at least each time they visit the hospital. If an elderly person visits the hospital less than once a year, their blood pressure should be checked at least once a year.
Because blood pressure fluctuates significantly in the elderly, experts recommend taking multiple blood pressure readings during each outpatient visit and averaging the results for greater reliability. Furthermore, a diagnosis can only be made if high blood pressure is measured at two different times.
Various factors can affect blood pressure measurement in the elderly, such as "white coat hypertension" caused by stress or contact with medical staff, and the hardening of blood vessels in the elderly can also cause blood pressure monitors to misread, resulting in "false hypertension".
Sometimes, to determine if a patient's blood pressure at home is truly normal, it's advisable for them to wear a 24-hour blood pressure monitor. This provides objective data that helps in establishing a diagnosis of hypertension. Some elderly people have very hard blood vessels; even a blood pressure monitor set to 200 mmHg may not be able to flatten the vessels, resulting in a persistent pulse that is mistakenly interpreted as high blood pressure. This leads doctors to continuously increase medication to lower the blood pressure, and the patient often experiences dizziness or even fainting when standing up due to low blood pressure. Using arterial blood pressure monitoring might reveal that their blood pressure was actually normal.
Therefore, if a doctor finds that a patient does not respond well to antihypertensive drugs, or often experiences dizziness after taking medication, the possibility of "pseudohypertension" should be considered. Such individuals do not usually need antihypertensive drugs but should maintain a normal lifestyle, including a proper diet, a healthy weight, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, maintaining a balance between mind and body, and occasionally measuring their blood pressure. Under resting conditions, blood pressure should be kept below 140/90 mmHg. However, for...Seniors aged 65 and aboveSome in the medical community believe that if there are no other underlying medical conditions, a score of 150/90 is acceptable before treatment. Please confirm this with your doctor.