I’m a class 1 driver and I went for a medical last month and they said my blood pressure was a we bit borderline for a 31 yr old it wasn’t an HGV medical though .Think this is anything to worry about at this age ? It’s not bad enough to disqualify from driving but technically I probably won’t need a medical till 45 anyway .Any advice it was only 92 reading or something ?What’s the odds on losing licence before 45 think there’s a chance I will need a medical before then ?
You’re in the wrong place mate. You want NHS Direct.
Simple. Dont ignore it. If needed get tablets and keep it under control. That way you will keep healthy and pass . Trust me ive been there.
The first figure needs to be lower than 90 for HGV medical.
Get yourself a BP tester from Boots and test yourself for awhile see what average readings you get.
Nowt to worry about, worrying will send it up !
Jim
Sort out your diet & fitness levels would be my advice. It’s not something to be messed with, if it’s high at your age it will only get worse over time, without any changes, not better. Can I suggest getting a bike! 
JFC999:
The first figure needs to be lower than 90 for HGV medical.
Get yourself a BP tester from Boots and test yourself for awhile see what average readings you get.
Nowt to worry about, worrying will send it up !
Jim
WRONG.
The BP numbers must not exceed 180/100.which is very generous.
Normal,(What’s normal?) blood pressure is around 120/70ish.
When I went for my last medical I was worried about my eye test which put my BP up to 170/96,but the doc passed me and made the remark,“White coat syndrome”,which is the expression used when the sight of a medical person increases your heart rate and so raises your blood pressure.
I have a BP meter at home and when I do a test on that,I am a little higher than “Normal” at 130/80.
My wife is always low,about 105/65 which is almost “Flatlining”.
bestbooties:
JFC999:
The first figure needs to be lower than 90 for HGV medical.
Get yourself a BP tester from Boots and test yourself for awhile see what average readings you get.
Nowt to worry about, worrying will send it up !
JimWRONG.
The BP numbers must not exceed 180/100.which is very generous.
Normal,(What’s normal?) blood pressure is around 120/70ish.
When I went for my last medical I was worried about my eye test which put my BP up to 170/96,but the doc passed me and made the remark,“White coat syndrome”,which is the expression used when the sight of a medical person increases your heart rate and so raises your blood pressure.
I have a BP meter at home and when I do a test on that,I am a little higher than “Normal” at 130/80.
My wife is always low,about 105/65 which is almost “Flatlining”.
+1
Exactly right.
Do not worry I was the same at your age.Just get it checked regularly by your Doc and he will give medication if required.
You will not lose your license as long as it is in control.
The 92 in your reading would have been the bottom figure…ideally should be 80-85 but if it gets near the 100 then it is medication time.
The bigger the gap in between in between the two figures the better.
JFC999:
The first figure needs to be lower than 90 for HGV medical.
Get yourself a BP tester from Boots and test yourself for awhile see what average readings you get.
Nowt to worry about, worrying will send it up !
Jim
Just about gave me a f-----g heart attack lol only joking it is 180 100 i’m ok .I’m going to clean my diet after the new year .Also if anybody else reads this and struggles with hbp drink green tea it makes it 40 percent less likley to get high blood pressure .I’m not really worried I live a healthy enough life exercise etc .I think I need to lose just a few pounds clean my diet up and especially cut out sodium and salt .My real question is is there a chance DVLA would find out before 45 if it went up a we bit to high ,
If you drink alot of coffee green tea is good for a replacement or even if you drink coffee and your diet isn’t clean it reduces the chances by 40 percent ( i’ve started drinking it ) of getting hbp . Not as good for energy though as caffeine but if you eat clean and have a good sleep pattern you shouldn’t need caffeine anyway .
dailymail.co.uk/health/artic … althy.html
Sorry, sorry, sorry , I meant the bottom reading !
If your top reading was 92 you would be in trouble I think.
Bestbooties, I dispute your 180/100 last medical I had 5 years ago I read about 170 /95 and he put it on the form, DVLA rejected me and insisted on 3 readings below 90 for bottom figure. Got through it easy enough and didn’t have to stop driving but could have done without it.
Jim
120/80 is a normal reading, any higher than these should have you doing something about it. The higher it is the more “at risk” you are of having a stroke or heart attack.
Ideally when it’s being taken it should be done 3 times and an average taken, this gets rid of the anxiety part, usually it’s only once as doctors don’t have the time.
Slackbladder:
120/80 is a normal reading, any higher than these should have you doing something about it. The higher it is the more “at risk” you are of having a stroke or heart attack.
Ideally when it’s being taken it should be done 3 times and an average taken, this gets rid of the anxiety part, usually it’s only once as doctors don’t have the time.
Thanks for info mate i’m going to try to get it sorted anyway try and lower it .Apart from that do u think there’s a chance I will need a medical before 45 ?
Not if you stay healthy enough to avoid going to the doctors. I can only remember going to the doctors about 3 times in the last 14 years, all for HGV medicals. Others have not been as lucky.
truck11:
I’m a class 1 driver and I went for a medical last month and they said my blood pressure was a we bit borderline for a 31 yr old it wasn’t an HGV medical though .Think this is anything to worry about at this age ? It’s not bad enough to disqualify from driving but technically I probably won’t need a medical till 45 anyway .Any advice it was only 92 reading or something ?What’s the odds on losing licence before 45 think there’s a chance I will need a medical before then ?
You also have to consider that the visit to the docs can with some people raise your blood pressure, its called the white coat effect, do you have a fobia about doctors and dentists?
Mines always been high but not high enough to need tablets, when i went for my medical earlier in the year i told the doc it would be borderline but acceptable and it was right where i said it would be, i just go to the nurse every 6 months to get it checked
weeto:
truck11:
I’m a class 1 driver and I went for a medical last month and they said my blood pressure was a we bit borderline for a 31 yr old it wasn’t an HGV medical though .Think this is anything to worry about at this age ? It’s not bad enough to disqualify from driving but technically I probably won’t need a medical till 45 anyway .Any advice it was only 92 reading or something ?What’s the odds on losing licence before 45 think there’s a chance I will need a medical before then ?You also have to consider that the visit to the docs can with some people raise your blood pressure, its called the white coat effect, do you have a fobia about doctors and dentists?
Yes I didn’t get much sleep the night before either .Does anybody know if the blood pressure monitors you buy are accurate .
truck11:
.Does anybody know if the blood pressure monitors you buy are accurate .
Yes they are.
I got mine from Boots,and when I mentioned to my practice nurse at my regular diabetic check up,she had me take my bp at home for several days,then see her again and check my bp again with my tester and hers,there was nowt in it,both read the same within a couple of numbers.
When you are having your bp taken,it’s surprising what can raise it.DON’T TALK,and DON’T CROSS your legs.Sit back,close your eyes and think of nowt!.
If my bp is a little high,the nurse or the doc take it up to three times in succession and it’s lower every time and they will accept the lowest reading.
JFC999:
Sorry, sorry, sorry , I meant the bottom reading !
If your top reading was 92 you would be in trouble I think.
Bestbooties, I dispute your 180/100 last medical I had 5 years ago I read about 170 /95 and he put it on the form, DVLA rejected me and insisted on 3 readings below 90 for bottom figure. Got through it easy enough and didn’t have to stop driving but could have done without it.
Jim
Jim,
Here below is my bp taken at my last medical:
and here is the comment added by the doctor:
In case you can’t read the docs writing,it says:
“White coat effect on BP.Home monitoring 130’s/70’s,No concerns”
When I told him that I checked my bp at home and gave him my normal readings,that is what he wrote,and this was accepted by the DVLA and I got my licence returned within less than two weeks.
As I shall be 71 at my next medical,and being diagnosed as type 2 diabetic,I try to take care of myself.
My diabetes is diet controlled ,no drugs at all.
I have a blood test at my local practice every year to show my blood/sugar level,and have a printout which I take to the doctor that I use for my HGV medical,(£30),he then puts all the info on the D4.
A day or two before my licence is returned,I get a letter from the DVLA medical section to say that as my diabetes is well controlled and my blood pressure is proven to be OK,they have no reservations about renewing my licence.
Doctors etc are now beginning to realise that when people come to the practice to have their BP taken that the may be anxious and hence the pressure will be up a bit.
I was on tablets for over 10 years but am now off them.
I went to the Doc with another problem and he told me it may be caused by the tablets.He took me off them told me to monitor it 3 times a day at home and it was fine but anytime I had it taken at the Doc’s it was high.