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high blood pressure-how long til problem happens?


Posted by oh

If a person's blood pressure runs around 150/100 all the time, how long does it take until a stroke or heart attack happens?  Occasionally the diastolic drops into the 90's, but it rises into the 110's fairly often too.
 
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It's hard to make any kind of a prediction but if the blood pressure has consistently been elevated, it certainly needs to be treated.  The range of a diastolic reading from 90-110 is much too high and a doctor should check this out.  It's always helpful to bring a list of the blood pressure readings that you've documented to show to the doctor.  Sometimes the automatic blood pressure machines aren't very accurate so it's best to have it checked manually too.  Elevated blood pressure usually has no symptoms but can cause long term problems if untreated.  So, I would recommend that you make an appointment with your doctor.
I would go get a C-reactive protein or CRP test. A C-reactive protein (CRP) test checks for inflammation (swelling) of the arteries which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This is a simple blood test that will help you determain risk for heart attack.
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