Around-the-clock BP monitoring?

January 14, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: My doctor has indicated that he wants a 24-hour blood-pressure reading on me. I just returned from my ophthalmologist’s office for a routine visit and asked him about this. I am uninformed but was surprised a specialist would not have heard of it, either. Can you fill in the blanks?

DEAR READER: The use of ambulatory blood-pressure monitoring (ABPM) for 24 hours has gained greater acceptance for several reasons. A situation known as white-coat hypertension occurs in up to 32 percent of patients, and this particular testing unit can monitor the condition. It can also delineate circadian variations in readings and pick up on drug-induced orthostatic hypotension and episodic primary hypertension. [Read more...]

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Meds make reader dizzy

August 25, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am constantly dizzy. I was taking 160 milligrams of Diovan for a long time, but my doctor changed me to 150 milligrams of Tekturna. Now I’m dizzy on that. My blood pressure is 118/66, so what causes the dizziness?

DEAR READER: There are a number of causes for dizziness, including vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Meniere’s disease, inflammation of the inner ear, migraine headaches and as a result of using specific medications. Dizziness can also result from specific medications, low-blood-pressure readings (hypotension), Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders, nerve damage to the legs, inner-ear abnormalities and anxiety.
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A supplement for blood-pressure control?

April 28, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: Have you heard of the supplement Ameal bp for maintaining blood pressure within the normal range? If so, can it work successfully?

DEAR READER: Ameal consists of two bioactive tripeptides — valyl prolyl proline (VPP) and isoleucyl prolyl proline (IPP) — that are extracted from milk proteins. The product is purported to block biochemical reactions in the body that can cause blood vessels to narrow and result in rising hypertension. It should be used in conjunction with proper diet and regular exercise.
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