I’ve never had high blood pressure before but at my last appointment, I refused to step on the scale. The nurse got angry with me and started to lecture me about how they needed that number to assess my health (they didn’t). And then he measured my blood pressure and it was high. I think even just being asked to step on a scale or maybe arguing with a patient about it can cause high blood pressure too.
Yes indeed, is it any wonder my blood pressure is elevated in a medical setting when I already have medical anxiety and everything feels like an attack from the moment I step through the door?
I've long said that weight and blood pressure checks are more of a religious ritual than a medical necessity. You only need those metrics... when you need them. Which is not 100% of the time. Fight me.
I would love to see studies that analyze the relationship between those artificially high BP readings, fat bodies, and what doctors prescribe.
CN: weight biased medical leading to stigma and inappropriate prescriptions.
I typically have low blood pressure, and high medical anxiety due to dehumanizing experiences with medical professionals.
Combing the medical anxiety with being weighed at the beginning of the visit has often resulted in a higher blood pressure readings. Then many medical professionals have assumed that I have high blood pressure due to being fat.
I currently state , “I am agreeing to be weighed on the condition that there will be no discussion about my weight, body size, food advice, and exercise suggestions. “ I ask the person doing the weighing to please remind the medical professionals and add a note to chart.
I choose to step on the scale backwards and not know the number.
When the discussion of blood pressure starts, I say clearly that I have genetically low blood pressure and that my only high readings are at medical offices. Many doctors don’t even hear me, and prescribe blood pressure lowering medications.
This cycle led to me having dangerously low blood pressure and on too many medications at too high of doses. I kept asking my PCP. She insisted that she has those BP numbers and she was fine.
After my blood pressure became increasingly difficult to measure, I got my pulmonologist to go through all my medications. He was able to see the pattern and told me to ask my primary care to take me off of the medications. I advocated for myself, and asked him to message my other doctors. When the request came from a doctor, my PCP suddenly recommended that I stop that medication. I’ve been feeling significant improvement of symptoms.
Men tend to have higher blood pressure than women. The medical system assumes male bodies are the "standard." All of our criteria, our decision factors, our assumptions for what "should be" are based on male bodies. Yes, women can have high blood pressure too, but it's more common in men. The medical system assumes everyone will have the problem of high blood pressure, and never check whether it's too LOW.
If need to be weighed (which thankfully doesn’t happen too often) I always ask not to be told the number. The thought of self-weighing where I would need to actively interact with the number feels much more stressful.
Thanks to you, I have quit weighing at any doctor visit, unless it’s for something like determining the amount of anesthesia I need. I can’t tell you how empowering that feels and I send you gratitude every single time!! 💖💖
Me too. And also, even if one is weighed after BP but still knows it’s coming — what would that do? I can see doctors deciding to weigh after BP. Not sure it would change anything for me
Thank you for addressing this study! I am very interested in what we can learn on this topic so that we can begin to advocate for changes to policies and practices based on evidence rather than just past practice and what might be "convenient".
Finally, a study that looks into a mechanism that has always seemed very plausible to me.
I’ve never had high blood pressure before but at my last appointment, I refused to step on the scale. The nurse got angry with me and started to lecture me about how they needed that number to assess my health (they didn’t). And then he measured my blood pressure and it was high. I think even just being asked to step on a scale or maybe arguing with a patient about it can cause high blood pressure too.
I think the only way it doesn’t cause stress is if weighing is done only when medically necessary — at the time it becomes necessary
Yes indeed, is it any wonder my blood pressure is elevated in a medical setting when I already have medical anxiety and everything feels like an attack from the moment I step through the door?
I've long said that weight and blood pressure checks are more of a religious ritual than a medical necessity. You only need those metrics... when you need them. Which is not 100% of the time. Fight me.
I would love to see studies that analyze the relationship between those artificially high BP readings, fat bodies, and what doctors prescribe.
CN: weight biased medical leading to stigma and inappropriate prescriptions.
I typically have low blood pressure, and high medical anxiety due to dehumanizing experiences with medical professionals.
Combing the medical anxiety with being weighed at the beginning of the visit has often resulted in a higher blood pressure readings. Then many medical professionals have assumed that I have high blood pressure due to being fat.
I currently state , “I am agreeing to be weighed on the condition that there will be no discussion about my weight, body size, food advice, and exercise suggestions. “ I ask the person doing the weighing to please remind the medical professionals and add a note to chart.
I choose to step on the scale backwards and not know the number.
When the discussion of blood pressure starts, I say clearly that I have genetically low blood pressure and that my only high readings are at medical offices. Many doctors don’t even hear me, and prescribe blood pressure lowering medications.
This cycle led to me having dangerously low blood pressure and on too many medications at too high of doses. I kept asking my PCP. She insisted that she has those BP numbers and she was fine.
After my blood pressure became increasingly difficult to measure, I got my pulmonologist to go through all my medications. He was able to see the pattern and told me to ask my primary care to take me off of the medications. I advocated for myself, and asked him to message my other doctors. When the request came from a doctor, my PCP suddenly recommended that I stop that medication. I’ve been feeling significant improvement of symptoms.
I have low BP too, which sometimes leads to fainting. The medical presumption that everyone has high BP is rooted in misogyny.
I would love to hear more about that connection.
Men tend to have higher blood pressure than women. The medical system assumes male bodies are the "standard." All of our criteria, our decision factors, our assumptions for what "should be" are based on male bodies. Yes, women can have high blood pressure too, but it's more common in men. The medical system assumes everyone will have the problem of high blood pressure, and never check whether it's too LOW.
If need to be weighed (which thankfully doesn’t happen too often) I always ask not to be told the number. The thought of self-weighing where I would need to actively interact with the number feels much more stressful.
The number ends up in the chart anyway and stresses me out
Thanks to you, I have quit weighing at any doctor visit, unless it’s for something like determining the amount of anesthesia I need. I can’t tell you how empowering that feels and I send you gratitude every single time!! 💖💖
I wonder if it would matter if patients were given the option to be weighed or not.
Me too. And also, even if one is weighed after BP but still knows it’s coming — what would that do? I can see doctors deciding to weigh after BP. Not sure it would change anything for me
Shocker!!
Thank you for addressing this study! I am very interested in what we can learn on this topic so that we can begin to advocate for changes to policies and practices based on evidence rather than just past practice and what might be "convenient".