During a fitness assessment, a BP reading of 146/90 mm Hg is obtained after running. What is the appropriate action?

During a fitness assessment, a BP reading of 146/90 mm Hg is obtained after running. What is the appropriate action?

• A. Tell Mr. Morhudi to rest for 20 minutes and reassess the BP.
• B. Obtain a second BP reading in his left arm.
• C. Ask Mr. Morhudi if he has any history of hypertension.
• D. Tell Mr Morhudi this is a normal reading for a man of his age and fitness level.

Answer: (A)

During and after aerobic effort, blood pressure can rise temporarily because the heart is pumping more and the body’s vessels are under increased demand. To know if a high reading reflects a true resting blood pressure or just the effect of exercise, you should let the person rest and then recheck the BP. Resting for about 20 minutes before reassessment gives the cardiovascular system time to return toward baseline, making the reading more reliable for deciding next steps. A post-exercise value of 146/90 is not considered a normal resting reading, so it’s important to confirm with a rest-and-recheck rather than accepting it as normal. Simply taking another reading in the other arm or asking about hypertension history doesn’t address the immediate need to determine resting BP, and labeling it as normal would be inappropriate until a proper rest-based reading is obtained.

During and after aerobic effort, blood pressure can rise temporarily because the heart is pumping more and the body’s vessels are under increased demand. To know if a high reading reflects a true resting blood pressure or just the effect of exercise, you should let the person rest and then recheck the BP. Resting for about 20 minutes before reassessment gives the cardiovascular system time to return toward baseline, making the reading more reliable for deciding next steps. A post-exercise value of 146/90 is not considered a normal resting reading, so it’s important to confirm with a rest-and-recheck rather than accepting it as normal. Simply taking another reading in the other arm or asking about hypertension history doesn’t address the immediate need to determine resting BP, and labeling it as normal would be inappropriate until a proper rest-based reading is obtained.