Blood Pressure

OldManRunner · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 1:44 pm

I donate blood regularly through apheresis. Unlike regular whole-blood donations which remove red blood cells along with plasma, platelets, etc., with apheresis they centrifuge the blood to separate out either the plasma or the platelets, and return the rest to your body. Platelets are critical for patients undergoing chemotherapy, and I can't remember the most common uses of plasma, but you're able to get far greater quantities of both of these blood products through apheresis than normal whole blood donations. And, from a runner's point of view, it doesn't impact your performance at all since you're not losing any red blood cells.

Anyway, the point of this is that the last time I donated back in January I was alarmed to find that my blood pressure was 118/82. That 2nd number is borderline high, and I've always figured that with all my running I must be near bullet-proof with respect to blood pressure concerns - especially when my pulse was about 60 at the same moment. I asked about it, and they said that the high figure could have been caused by a number of factors - including caffeine. I'd chugged down several cups of coffee that morning before donating, so I hoped that that was indeed the issue, since I didn't remember any high blood pressure readings in the past.

Well, this morning I donated again after avoiding all coffee for the morning, and my blood pressure was a much happier 100/60, so I guess running really does help after all! Anyone else ever have any similar blood pressure scares? I'd have hated to have given up my potato chips and other unhealthy foods!