AboutDavid Richardson Expertise Adult heart function and disease. Not very good about children lesss than 12. Hypertension is o.k. Heart rhythm a special interest.
Experience Certified in cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Was chairman of division of cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia. Am now mostly retired.
Organizations Fellow of American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology and member of American Physiological Society..
Publications Circulation, American Heart Journal, Hypertension.
Education/Credentials M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Residency training at Yale Uhniversity School of Medicine and Medical College of Virginia.
Awards and Honors Gold Heartt Award from American Heart Association in 1995.
Expert: David Richardson Date: 7/24/2008 Subject: Elevated Blood Pressure
Question My question is sometimes my blood pressure elevates from a normal reading to extremely high numbers i.e. 185/103. Sometimes my heart rate goes slightly over 100 when this happens, and other times it hovers around 95during such an episode. I find that if I take a very small part of a Xanax pill I feel better. Can this be a heart related problem? I am 55, 5'2" and weigh 145 lbs. Thank you for your reply.
Answer Dear Marge,
Heart-related only in that sustained peaks of blood pressure may strain the heart, but peaks lasting only a few minutes would not harm the heart.
Please write back if this note doesn't really answer all your questions.
