Last year my blood pressure was beginning to attract the attention of my doctors. I am fast approaching 80 years of age and most of my doctors are just out of medical school and still oriented on 120/80 as the ideal blood pressure. 

Every study intended to prove objectively a health benefit for 80 has failed. Having been brought up on 100 plus your age for systolic, I talked my way out of pills for a while but inevitably I had to start the least compromising of the lot, a beta blocker with a small dose of thiazide.
 
My regular sitting blood pressures during this time were 166-170/88-92, certainly nothing to suggest a blood pressure etiology for my weakness and shortness of breath on standing - or did it?

I am reluctant to admit how long it took me before I finally did tests of orthostatic tolerance but finally, in a "Eureka" moment of awareness, it came to me abruptly.