DH heart / blood pressure - how bad is this?

[Imafirestartertwisterfirestarterheyheyhey]

DH went for a routine blood pressure test yesterday and was immediately told to go at a&e as his blood pressure was 220/108 and he was at immediate risk of hypertension.

i have young DC so he told me to stay here and so I haven’t seen him since he went it but we’ve obviously been talking but he was due to come home yesterday but I fell asleep and I’ve just woken up and he’s in overnight on a drip to get his blood pressure down before they release him. He’s had an ECG which is fine.

I have nobody irl to help out so I’m going to drop DC early and get to the hospital but I’m in shock he’s late 40s, exercises regularly, good diet and not overweight. They’ve said it’s probably hereditary and he’s now going to be on medication for the rest of his life.

has anyone else been through anything like this? I feel totally blindsided (as does he).

Listen to your GP, they gave excellent advice.
The age range figures research is at least. 20 years old.

Current thinking is to stay below 140/90.

Back again. DH still in hospital which is definitely where he needs to be. BP is down a lot (not quite at normal rate) with some new medication. Still waiting on an angiogram.

Had results back from blood test and they’re concerned (and now I am) that they have found traces of enzymes but I don’t really know what that means. Does anyone have any idea on this?

TIA

They'll be tracking troponin levels as they can indicate a heart attack or a cardiac issue of some kind.

Been there on my own account and my late DH's, so know the drill.

Thank you. Is it possible to have a heart attack without knowing about it? (Sorry if that’s a silly question).

Hi
Last year I had something called an Aortic Dissection. I was initially sent home by hospital, but readmitted later. This is when you get a sudden tear in your Aorta and your blood pressure shoots up. They fitted a stent and I now have a fair bit of medication which includes Bisporol, Ramipril, Colchichine and Atorvastatin. My blood pressure had always been low - 90/60 but it had hot the 190 mark. The dissection was diagnosed with a CT scan. Maybe he could push for that. I now lead an almost normal life. Very best of luck to your DH he is in the right place to be monitored.

Not a nurse but yes, my uncle had a heart attack and didn't know until the doctor told him.

Yes they test for raised enzymes (troponin and CPK) as a sign of a heat attack. And I'm afraid it is possible to have one without knowing. I'm sorry op, I hope he is feeling better soon.

Thinking of you, OP. A relative of mine had a 'cardiac event' which is still loosely diagnosed to this day (not quite what your DH experienced, but they weren't sure whether it was a heart attack or not), and it was such a shock because they have no risk factors and are usually so healthy. Anyway, that was over a year ago now, and they are doing very well and leading a normal life. The fear will subside over time. I hope your DH can come home very soon with a solid plan for staying well. Look after yourself, too xx

I hope all is well with you DH. A note for others reading the thread - you can get a free blood pressure test at your pharmacy if you are over 40.

I have severe heart failure and I’m a nurse. If his Troponin level is elevated, this indicates damage to the heart muscle. This is the enzyme they would have tested. If he has had a mild cardiac event it can still cause damage and elevate the Troponin levels. He may have thought he had a sore muscle or even indigestion and not realised. People often minimize their symptoms because they’re afraid or in denial. (Can speak from experience here… 🤦🏼‍♀️) A BP of 220/108 IS hypertension. This means high blood pressure. To me it sounds like they will do some cardiac investigations like an ECG, an ultrasound and possibly and MRI to see exactly what’s going on. Apart from having some contrast injected via a cannula, they’re all non-invasive tests. They will release him with a crapload of meds and advice about lifestyle and dietary changes, possibly with referrals to a dietician, counsellor, etc, and he will probably see his GP more frequently or a specialist cardiac nurse for follow-up observations and discussion about well-being.

Dh was having migraines for a couple of years, they increased in frequency and length so he finally went to the GP who gave him meds to prevent them. I asked what his BP was, he said they didn't take it. I thought that was negligent on behalf of the GP. High blood pressure runs in his family, both his Dad and sister are on meds for it. He was on these migraine meds for over a year with no real change.

After another vomit inducing migraine just after Christmas I had had enough of him suffering and told to phone the GP. They asked if he had a blood pressure monitor at home, we did but one of those wrist ones, she said take 3 readings and I will do some more calls and ring you back (covid so no face to face) he took it, asked me to take mine to see if it was working correctly. Mine was a normal result. When we tried to put his results into the NHS website it said you must have made a mistake because it only accepts 199 as the top result.

GP called back and Dh got sent to A&E there and then. Triage said home monitor won't show the correct reading, no way is it over 200. It was 239/168. He had several tests, given meds and then under GP care where he has been for the last 4 years. These have included blood tests for kidney function as the meds can affect that, routine follow ups, submitting his BP to them on a regular basis. They have been brilliant. They have kept the base medicine of Ramipril and then added in different ones to see if that helps him. His BP is still high but nowhere near what it was.

I hope your Dh responds well to the meds and is discharged soon.

My high blood pressure was only caught at a routine appointment. Been on medication since and blood pressure is completely normal now. I am trying to lose a bit of weight, but just doing it slowly rather than dramatically. I am also drinking less, which was not due to the blood pressure but more due to doing dry January and not missing it!

It can be scary, especially when you first find out. I've found that doctors react very differently to one another when you hit high numbers. Some send you to A&E immediately but I've also been in A&E with BP 239/139 and they said "hmm, that's a little high".

If I'm stressed, I'll often get numbers over 180/100, but I'm much better at bringing it back down myself now. Loads of fluids, hot bath, treat any pain with paracetamol and it soon goes down.

How scary for you. Hope that the tests come back OK.

Just as a tip going forward. My sister had high blood pressure (hereditary in our family) but managed to get it down with intermittent fasting (16:8). She is now off medication and fasts instead. She has a blood pressure monitor and checks weekly.

How’s his salt intake? My DH was also a cyclist doing crazy distances. His blood pressure was through the roof. He’d come home and douse his dinner with salt, obviously to replace the lost salts from sweating. He doesn’t cycle as far now (and not competitively, only for fun) and his salt intake and BP are much lower. Hope your DH is home and on the mend soon!

He'll be fine. Pretty much every 40+ male I know is on medication for similar reasons. It's a bit tedious but, otherwise, not really an issue. Just watch out if he decides to buy a sports car tho, coz it will make him think about getting old!