Understanding pressure readings

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Updated: January 16, 2012 4:04PM

Q. How low is too low for the bottom blood pressure number, and how high is too high for the top one? My dad’s numbers have been shifting somewhat. I’m calling his doc tomorrow for an appointment, but what’s so high or low that I should take him to the emergency room?

What’s too low for the bottom number (diastolic) varies. It measures the pressure in the arteries when your heart muscle relaxes between pumps, so you want it to be low. The normal range is 60 to 80, but lower is better. Generally speaking, if your dad can stand up easily and talk to you, it’s not too low. Still, since both of his numbers are moving, you’re smart to get his doc involved.

Blood pressure tends to creep up around age 65, but the American Heart Association’s recommendation doesn’t: Stay under 120/80. We’re even more aggressive: We like BP to be as low as you can get it without tumbling over — not just your dad’s; yours, too. Under 120/80 is good; 115/76 is optimal. People in that range have half as many heart attacks and strokes. Dr. Mike’s is 115/75; Mehmet’s stays around 110/75. Go for optimal!

How? Eat well (lots of fruits, veggies, 100 percent whole grains; next to no saturated/trans fats or added sugars/syrups). Walk 30 minutes a day. Sleep eight hours a night. Manage stress. If your dad needs meds (sounds likely), make sure he takes them as if his life depends on it. It does.

Q. I take Zonegran for epilepsy, which makes me prone to kidney stones. I’ve passed one and have another, though it’s not positioned to pass immediately. I know you suggest taking 600 mg of calcium daily, but won’t that make me more likely to form kidney stones?

To help prevent kidney stones, drink quarts of water — yep, quarts. The rule of thumb if you’ve had a kidney stone is at least three quarts a day (other fluids count, too). Start by washing down your Zonegran with a big glassful. Then just keep at it.

Sodium increases calcium in urine, which ups your chance of stones. Skip highly processed “salt bombs:” fast food, canned soups/vegetables, deli meats, premade frozen dishes, pizza, hot dogs, sausage. Grapefruit juice, cola and cranberry juice also may cause trouble. Avoid spinach, rhubarb, nuts and wheat bran. These normally healthy foods increase oxalate in urine, exactly what you Zonegran takers and other kidney-stone-makers don’t need.

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