Is Your Blood Pressure Higher in the Morning?
If you've decided to take an active role in your health care, and have purchased a blood pressure monitor, you may have noticed that your readings vary. However, if you are experiencing a higher blood pressure reading in the morning, you need to be aware that this might signal an increase in your risk for a stroke. A new medical study links a morning reading of high blood pressure with a significant increase in the possibility of a stroke.
Morning High Blood Pressure May Predict Strokes
Before looking at the medical study in more detail, it may be helpful to review some basic information about blood pressure. A blood pressure reading measures the pressure of the blood as it pumps through the arteries. The top number of a blood pressure reading is called the systolic pressure and it measures the force of the contraction of the heart as it pushes the blood through the arteries. The lower or second number is called the diastolic pressure and measures the blood pressure when the heart is at rest, between beats. Both numbers are significant because the contractions of the heart and its relaxation reveal the general health of this major organ and the rest of the circulatory system.
Usually blood pressure readings are lower when a person sleeps and are higher in the mornings. That's why a smaller increase in the morning blood pressure doesn't qualify it as a higher risk factor. However, if there is a sharp increase from the blood pressure reading taken at bedtime and the one taken when you first wake up, this may signal that there is a medical condition in your body that may contribute to a stroke. In this medical study, all patients wore an ambulatory blood pressure monitor that constantly measured their blood pressure. That's how the researchers were able to watch the sharp decrease in blood pressure while sleeping, followed by a very higher blood pressure reading first thing in the morning. The connection between a higher blood pressure reading in the morning and the increase probability of having a stroke came after the participants in this study were given MRI scans to look for brain lesions. The presence of these lesions would signify that the patient had already undergone a "silent" stroke, which many doctors consider to be a condition that occurs before a major stroke happens. The study linked those patients with a high morning blood pressure to the presence of brain lesions. Researchers calculated that these patients were now three times more likely to develop a debilitating stroke in the near future.
A Plan of Action
Monitor your blood pressure, especially first thing in the morning, and if it's high tell your doctor. A drug treatment plan can be immediately started to decrease your risk of stroke.
