Cartiod Bruit

HI there,

I am a 28 yr old male and I have a heart murmur (systolic) diagnosed during a medical(when I was 22), which required an echocardiogram that came back normal, suggesting my murmur was innocent.

I have a few concerns however. My pulse pressure is always high, typical readings would be 130/60. I suffer from white coat hypertension so in the doctors office, its normally 146/62ish... Why is my pulse pressure so high?

During my latest medical (I do one per year) the doc discovered a rather loud cartiod bruit. He wasn't sure what that was but he says that is where my murmur is loudest.

Im a bit worried about my high pulse pressure, murmur/cartiod bruit. Could something have been missed on my echocardiogram?

Many thanks

Chris

[kenkeith]

The medical community's research suggests that an elevated pulse pressure may be a strong predictor of heart problems, especially for older adults. Generally, a pulse pressure greater than 60 mm Hg is abnormal.

You are relatively young and for older people the most important cause of elevated pulse pressure is stiffness and reduced elasticity of the aorta, the largest artery in the body. Underlying cause may be due to high blood pressure or fatty deposits on the walls of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Understandingly the greater the pulse pressure, the stiffer and more damaged the vessels are thought to be. Other conditions including severe anemia and overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can increase pulse pressure as well.

Treating high blood pressure usually reduces pulse pressure as well.

[Chris1690]

Thankyou for your response.

My pulse pressure has always been like this since I have been having medicals. (since I was 22). Could there be another cause in this case?

[kenkeith]

Medication can be the cause, and that would not be of any medcial significance.

[Chris1690]

The only medication I am on is Finasteride 1mg per day for hair loss, could that be a factor? Otherwise I was thinking could my heart murmur be related?

Many thanks

[kenkeith]

Another way for a wide pulse rate is aorta (output vessel)  insufficiency caused by regurgitation, (backflow of blood into the pumping chamber rather than pumped into circulation) is significant, there can be a drop in diastolic pressure.  This regurgitant flow causes a decrease in the diastolic blood pressure in the aorta, and therefore an increase in the pulse pressure (systolic pressure - diastolic pressure).

There is no evidence that your medication causes a wide pulse rate.