This week’s poll is part of the series The Beacon is running that asks about comorbidities (additional health issues) that affect people with multiple myeloma, smoldering myeloma, and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Comorbidities are important because they can affect how patients are monitored or treated and because they can affect survival.
This week’s poll is about blood pressure.
A few clarifications:
First, this poll is open to anyone who has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, smoldering myeloma, or MGUS. If you are a caregiver or family member of a patient, feel free to answer on their behalf.
Second, we are looking for your current blood pressure without blood pressure medication. If you've been on blood pressure medication for a while, you can voted based on what you think your typical blood pressure would be without medication (based perhaps on a recent period of time where you might have had to go off medication or what your blood pressure was before medication). Likewise, for anyone voting, feel free to vote based on what you feel is your recent typical blood pressure; it doesn't necessarily have to be your latest reading.
Blood pressure is written as a ratio of two numbers (for example, 118/78). The top number is the systolic pressure; it is the higher of the two numbers that measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (when the heart muscle contracts). The bottom number is the diastolic pressure; it is the lower of the two numbers that measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood).
For more information about blood pressure, see the American Heart Association's website: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPressure/Understanding-Blood-Pressure-Readings_UCM_301764_Article.jsp#
As always, feel free to post comments, thoughts, or feedback in the space below. They can be very useful to other readers. In particular, feel free to share information such as how your blood pressure has changed since your myeloma-related diagnosis, whether treatment of your myeloma affects treatment of your high blood pressure or vice versa, or whether you feel myeloma or its treatment caused your high blood pressure.
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Re: Weekly Poll - Blood Pressure
My high blood pressure is partly due to the medications I am on. I have been on Cyclosporin for a couple of years now. Prior to taking blood pressure tablets my systolic did get up to 175!
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LibbyC - Name: LibbyC
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 43
Re: Weekly Poll - Blood Pressure
You did not state if the blood pressure readings were with medication or without.
Mines ok with medication but very high without it!
N.G.
Mines ok with medication but very high without it!
N.G.
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Nipon Ginko - Name: Nipon Ginko
- Who do you know with myeloma?: ME
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2004
- Age at diagnosis: 66
Re: Weekly Poll - Blood Pressure
Good point, Nipon.
We're interested in what percent of people with myeloma also have high blood pressure (that may or may not require medication). Therefore, we're looking for unmedicated blood pressure.
We're interested in what percent of people with myeloma also have high blood pressure (that may or may not require medication). Therefore, we're looking for unmedicated blood pressure.
4 posts
• Page 1 of 1