heartrate BP relationship

[ntonkin]

My resting heartrate has always been low (high 40s - high 50s).  My BP ranges roughly from 140-160 over 70-85.  When I run and weight train regularly, my BP will drop to the low 130s over mid 60s.  

When I take my BP with my pulse in the low 60s, it is significantly lower than when I take it with my pulse in the 50s or high 40s.  

What is causing this and should I be concerned about it?

[ntonkin]

Hi,

The thing is that when I run and workout regularly my BP goes down but my resting HR also goes down a little too.  

This isn't something that has started recently, it's been this way for over 10 years - - since I started monitoring.  

By the way, in '98 I served in Bosnia with some great guys from your military.  

[is_something_wrong]

Hello.

I think the answer is a bit backwards. Your blood pressure is not high because the heart rate is low. The heart rate is low because the blood pressure is high.

You have "sensors" in the aorta and the carotid arteries which monitor your blood pressure. They are attached to the heart through the autonomic nerve system and slows the heart rate when the blood pressure is high.

There are extreme cases of this known as the Cushing response, but your blood pressure is nowhere near that high..

In my country, blood pressure (unless extremely high) is just one risk factor of heart disease and a mildly elevated BP is not treated in the absence of other risk factors. It seems US guidelines are a bit stricter.

[ntonkin]

Thanks for your comment.  

Surely a systolic BP of 140-160 is a bit high but clearly no reason to consider going on BP medication.  Why would weight training cause BP to go up?  Clearly, running will lower BP but I've found that doing both is optimal (along with a low carb diet) for overall good health and fitness.  

[ntonkin]

Thanks for your answer.  I'm fully aware of the standard one size fits all BP diagnosises.  I've been on a very low carb diet, using potassium salt for the past 8 years.  I'm 6' 1" tall and weigh 225 with what is called an "athletic build".  I'm 64 years old and not compulsive about running or weight training but have been running to some extent most all my life and have been weight training for over 20 years and I haven't lifted more than 135 lbs when weightlifting for a number of years.  My BP varies a lot, generally lower when I am running more regularly.  I have two of the top rated BP machines and monitor my BP pretty regularly.  Went for a 2 mile run last evening and this morning my BP was 135/74 with a heartrate of 55.  

I would still like to know why my BP is lower when my HR is in the 60s (not really resting for me)  than when it is in the 50s or high 40s?      

[is_something_wrong]

I just wanted to add something:

A lowered blood pressure after exercise is common and normal, it's known as "post-exercise hypotension" (though in your case, hypotension is not the correct word, it's more a "post-exercise normalization"). After exercise, your arteries relax and the heart works easier, but the heart rate will increase some because the body is trying to "keep up" your blood pressure.

Also, after exercise, you continue to burn calories for a while, when your body is recovering. This will also increase the heart rate a little.

Maybe you should focus more on running/other aerobic exercise, as weight lifting may increase the blood pressure. Your so-called pulse pressure is also fairly high (difference between systolic and diastolic), it may be caused by a high stroke volume from the heart, or unflexible arteries. Not easy to say, but ask your doctor. If your blood pressure is in the 140-160 range it's too high, so it's a good idea to follow the advice you got from the doctor answering your post..

[CCFHeartMD 15]

Hello. The relevant point from your blood pressure fluctuation is not its relationship with the heart rate but the values that you usually are measuring. Under actual guidelines you fulfill the criteria of stage 1 hypertension/or high blood pressure (if the values that you are getting with your BP machine are accurate). So I recommend you to go and see a doctor to define if you have hypertension. In the meantime try to decrease the salt as much as you can and continue the cardio/aerobic exercise. Try to avoid heavy weight lifting as that type of exercise increase significantly the blood pressure.
Good luck.