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255738 tn?1230233362

Elevated systolic pressure, low pulse rate

My husband saw his PCP last week  When the dr took his blood pressure his systolic was 141 over 71.  His pulse rate has been 59 to low 60's.  What can this indicate?  He is taking 1/2 accupril twice per day and a low does of bumex.  Thanks for any information.
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690060 tn?1247841741
NTB
well, with the desired BP being 115/75, then a normal pulse pressure would be more like 40.

What is your husband's age?  Those numbers looks like what's called Isolated Systolic Hypertension, which is common in seniors as the arteries "harden".

But there is also some thought that a low heart rate can make Systolic pressure worse, as the reflected pressure wave from the previous beat combines with the wave of the current beat... something like that anyway So, you might be right when you pointed out the presence of the two.

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255738 tn?1230233362
Thank you for the reply and the information I appreciate it very much
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367994 tn?1304953593
Subtracting diastole number from systole number is medically referred to as pulse pressure.  Normal is 20 and a pulse pressure greater than 60 seems to indicate CAD.

Pulse pressure:
"The up and down fluctuation of the arterial pressure results from the pulsatile nature of the cardiac output, i.e. the heartbeat. The pulse pressure is determined by the interaction of the stroke volume of the heart, compliance (ability to expand) of the aorta, and the resistance to flow in the arterial tree. By expanding under pressure, the aorta absorbs some of the force of the blood surge from the heart during a heartbeat. In this way the pulse pressure is reduced from what it would be if the aorta wasn't compliant

The pulse pressure can be simply calculated from the difference of the measured systolic and diastolic pressures".
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