Hello doctor, I have been worried about my heart lately, and I was hoping you could answer a question I have regarding diastolic blood pressure. I recently did a test at home measuring my blood pressure before and after exercise using an Omron M3 comfort blood pressure monitor. In each case, I did for two minutes of step-ups, walking up and down two steps for that period of time. My blood pressure before exercising was 114/84 mmHg, and my heart rate was 71. Afterwards, I was sweating lightly and my heart was pounding. My blood pressure was 153/94 mmHg and my heart rate was 88. Two minutes after resting, my blood pressure was 145/108 mmHg, and my heart rate was 88. Two minutes after that, my blood pressure was 136/85 mmHg and my heart rate was 81. I am worried about the rise in my diastolic blood pressure immediately after exercise, and especially the fact that it seemed to continue to rise before dropping back. I should also say that I have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and as a result, I recently had two resting electrocardiography, blood work, a cholesterol test, and a blood sugar test, all of which have come back normal. Many thanks.
Hi. Blood pressure is a dynamic thing. It will always vary in relation to activity, stress, time of the day, and physical status. The variation in BP measurement you did is likely to be related to activity and is a normal phenomenon. To diagnose raised BP, undergo an ambulatory blood pressure measurement. Thanks. For more information consult a cardiologist online -->