Today in my Irvine office I took care of a 36 year old male who suffers from complete Renal Failure (Kidney Disease)  and is on dialysis 3 times per week and is currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant.   His kidneys failed because he had high blood pressure which went untreated for probably 10 years.    He uses medical marijuana because he has a very difficult time sleeping and also has a poor appetite as a result of regular dialysis.

I can not begin to tell you how important it is that you monitor your blood pressure and get it under control if it is high.   I see so  many patients (many in their 20′s and 30′s) who have high blood pressure but do nothing about it!! Many times they just do not want to take a medication or are not willing to eliminate the salt and caffeine out of their diet and start exercising.

The problem with walking around with high blood pressure is that your heart is being worked way to hard.  Because the heart has to pump blood against increased pressure in the blood vessels it becomes overworked, enlarges, requires more oxygen and ultimately fails.    The analogy I like to make is imagine driving down the freeway at 75mph in 3rd gear.  Your getting there but your engine is working WAY TOO HARD.   You need to put your car in 5th or 6th and take the load off the engine.   This is what dropping your blood pressure to 120/80 does for your heart.

Normal blood pressure is 120/80 (in that range) and it is considered high when either the top or bottom number hits 140/90.   Once it hits 140/90 and above you start to put a strain on your heart.

BUT WAIT; it is not only your heart that gets affected!!!   High blood pressure destroys your kidneys.   The increased pressure of the blood that is being filtered by your kidneys literally damages the tubes in your kidneys that filter out your blood.  IF YOU LET HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE GO UNTREATED FOR TOO LONG YOU END UP ON DIALYSIS 3X/WEEK WAITING FOR A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT.

Now lets just say that your kidneys do not get damaged and your heart is fine…. YOU STILL ARE AT RISK FOR HAVING A STROKE DUE TO AN ANEURYSM IN YOUR BRAIN.   The blood vessels literally get to the point where they “pop” (for lack of a more scientific word).  You lose oxygen to your brain cells and are now left having someone to wipe your butt the rest of your life.   NOT GOOD

My point of pointing these things out to patients is because I see so many patients who do not take their blood pressure seriously. They  continue to drink coffee, eat salt, drink beer and not exercise.   OR… they don’t want to try a medication “just because” they don’t want to be on meds.    Let me say one thing and please do not take offense to this.  YOUR DOCTOR COULD CARE LESS WHAT YOU DO.  HE DOESN’T THINK ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE HIS OFFICE.   IT IS UP TO YOU TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.    HE HOPES YOU TAKE HIS ADVICE BUT YOUR DECISION DOES NOT AFFECT HIM.

I really encourage you to take your blood pressure seriously.  If you have to be on a medication…. SO WHAT!   High blood pressure medications are very easily tolerated and you can take them every day for life and be fine.    The alternative is a heart attack, stoke or kidney failure…. ALL OF WHICH SUCK BIG TIME.

I’ll leave you with this. The number one cause of death is cardiovascular disease.   Not cancer, not accidents, not anything.

Now go take care of your blood pressure!

Be blessed,

Dr. Breen