Couple of things on blood pressures (its one of my pet peeves with doctors and blood pressures----I lit into a resident last year about mine so bad about it I hope the dingleberry is still thinking about what I had to say).....
1) Blood pressure is a dynamic measurement---this means it can be normal at home, go up because you get nervous going to the doctors office, and then return to normal once you are out of the doctors office. This variation can even occur to a degree simply by having your blood pressure measured, its high, you get nervous, and it goes up higher. Because of this, the only way to truely measure and evaluate blood pressures is to take an average over several instances---ideally several days. If your doctor bases a diagnosis of hypertension on a single blood pressure measurement, get a second opinion.
2) Choosing the correct cuff size is very, very important. In the species I work with, you can see drammatic differences in measurements by choosing a cuff that is too small or too large. As a general rule, the width of the cuff should be 40-50% of the circumference of the limb at the point of application. Smaller will give you erroneously high readings, and bigger will be the opposite. That same thing occurs in human patients. Make sure the nurse or doctor who checks your pressure uses the right sized cuff---for the average 285+ lb powerlifter like myself, that means you are going to have to use a human "thigh" cuff and depending on your arm size, arm length, and arm circumfrence (ie if its >19 or 20 inches, long vs short armed) the doctors office may not even have a cuff that fits you correctly. Human physicians generally do not understand this and they will argue and argue with you about it---even after you prove them wrong. Thats what set me off on that resident last year....that and her telling me "cheese" was a cleaner protein source than ON Whey or Muscle Milk.
3) many of the "things" bodybuilders take can alter blood pressure. Any sort of caffiene/ephedra/synephrine etc type "fat burning" combination taken within 4-6 hours of having your blood pressure measured can lead to falsely elevated results secondary to the effects of the drugs. I'm notoroius for drinking a diet mountain dew as I'm driving to the doctors office. Remember what you took before you go to the doctors office and tell them!!!
4) Hypertension is a very serious illness, that will lead to a multitude of problems over time. Its important to monitor your blood pressure, especially depending on the supplements you are taking and if you are powerlifters like myself, as you bulk up weight classes. Antihypertensive drugs also have a plethora of potential side effects. Make damned sure your doctor makes an accurate diagnosis and monitors you over time if you are taking these drugs.
Ok, no more soapbox.
