Tests over three months, taken by my Doctor and the Surgery Nurse, had indicated that I was suffering from high blood pressure, with consistent readings of above 140/90 mmHg but below 160/100. I already do, as a matter of course, many of the recommendations on lifestyle and diet - one of the advantages of being a runner. However there was nothing I could do about my family history: with a mother who died at 62, after numerous strokes, and a father who had suffered from high blood pressure, resulting from his time in Burma during the war. It seemed that I would be much more likely than the next person of having a stroke; a heart attack and/or developing a cardiovascular disease. The alternative was to take prescribed medication, possibly for the rest of my life. Thankfully my Doctor recognised my reluctance to go down this path and decided to have me fitted with an Ambulatory BP Monitoring Unit for 24 hours.
I’m so relieved that the unit revealed that my BP is within the normal parameters. An average of 129/80 mmHg (night time: 120/72; day time 134/84). There’s nothing I can do about my family history but I can keep up on running.
I speak to so many people who come out with “Is running not bad for your knees?” I’ve played rugby and/or ran since I was at school and there’s not much wrong with my knees. Trust me, the health benefits of running far outweigh any negatives by a country mile!
No comments:
Post a Comment