Max heart rate and stress test

[chslatrecia]

Hello and thanks for reading.  A little background, I am a 38 y/o female who had an ASD repair almost a year ago.  It went well and I feel fine, but there is still some mild-moderate mitral valve regurgitation. I am on Diovan to help my heart "HEAL" and for high blood pressure that returned 6 months after the ASD repair.

I am concerned about my heart rate during exercise.  I can easily get my HR up to 200 with a VERY slow jog in about 2 minutes. I have a monitor so I try not exceed 205.  It then takes about 2 hours to get my RH below 100 again after 30 min of exercise.  I had a stress test, walking at a very casual pace and slight incline (I wouldn't even consider it exercise).  They stopped the test at 7 min because I reached my max heart rate of 182 bpm and said the results were normal. So my question is, should I have a test done that more accurately mimics my excercising heart rate? Or if it is good at 182 it should also be good at 200 without causing any damage?  And if so can I safely increase my pace even if my HR increases?

[dtedog]

I would definitly be asking your doctor these questions. Does not sound like they gave you an accurate test. Ask questions, demand answers, do not settle for any thing less than what you can "LIVE" with.

[anacyde]

How in-shape are you?  Do you exercise regularly and did you prior to this?  It could be partially due to not being well-conditioned, but it's hard to say.  I would mention this to your doctor for sure.

[chslatrecia]

Thanks for the advice.  To answer your question, I am not in the best of shape now, but it is not bad.    Before the surgery I was in excellent condition but was having palpatations.  That is how they actually found I had an ASD (whole in the heart).  At that time the explanation for the high heart rate was the fact that my heart was working harder to pump blood because of the whole.  I also had pulmonary hypertention and regurgitation.  All of this was supposed to go away when the whole was repaired.  The high blood pressure did go away for 6 months.  Anyway I wil ask the questions of my Dr again and get a second opinion if possible.  I do know that some people just have higher heart rates-end of story; I just want to know for sure if I am one of them.