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Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

Fitness tips, Relaxation, Mind and Body
wickham
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Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372539

Postby wickham » January 3rd, 2021, 7:24 am

My resting heart rate was about 50 beats per minute until I had my first pacemaker, and then it seemed to be 60 at rest. Now I've had my second pacemaker my resting heart rate is 70 and since then I've had a bloodshot eye for a long time which doesn't want to go away.

Does a higher heart rate lead to higher blood pressure which might be the cause of my bloodshot eye?

redsturgeon
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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372542

Postby redsturgeon » January 3rd, 2021, 7:46 am

wickham wrote:My resting heart rate was about 50 beats per minute until I had my first pacemaker, and then it seemed to be 60 at rest. Now I've had my second pacemaker my resting heart rate is 70 and since then I've had a bloodshot eye for a long time which doesn't want to go away.

Does a higher heart rate lead to higher blood pressure which might be the cause of my bloodshot eye?


Higher resting heart rate does not lead to higher blood pressure, the pacemaker will have been set at a rate considered optimal for you by your doctor.

Bloodshot eyes are caused by small broken blood vessels in the eye and are usually harmless. They can be a result of blood thinners. Are you on warfarin or aspirin?

John

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372543

Postby servodude » January 3rd, 2021, 7:47 am

wickham wrote:Does a higher heart rate lead to higher blood pressure which might be the cause of my bloodshot eye?


As with most things of this ilk; possibly but I'd say unlikely

Blood pressure and heart rate are linked but there are other things going on, e.g. your blood vessels will dilate during exercise so even though your heart rate will increase your blood pressure won't (or not by the same amount)

Bloodshot eyes can be from many reasons - local irritation, or swelling, allergies (which can appear at any time) etc

Worth checking with your doc if you're worried (it will help your blood pressure) ;)

-sd

johnhemming
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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372550

Postby johnhemming » January 3rd, 2021, 9:04 am

wickham wrote:Does a higher heart rate lead to higher blood pressure which might be the cause of my bloodshot eye?

Best to buy a blood pressure measuring device (sphygmomanometer) there are digital devices which blow up a cuff either on your wrist or upper arm. You will then know what your blood pressure is. Don't get one of those which requires someone to listen to your heart beat.

You need to be careful, however, when measuring blood pressure to wait for it to stabilise. When you stand up and sit down your blood pressure can shift. If your heart is beating faster it will put up the pressure, but if your muscles require more oxygen it will reduce pressure. If you wait a bit it stabilises.

Hence it is unlikely that your blood pressure is higher as a result of the pacemaker because other things will have adjusted.

In the end, however, this
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Omron-M2-Bas ... 00KJ8FB1Q/

Is the sort of sphygmomanometer that I like. My doctor also has ones made by the same manufacturer. Amazon has a deal on at £21 at the moment for prime members.

It is much nicer to know what your blood pressure is than worry about it. (which can put your blood pressure up).

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372559

Postby bungeejumper » January 3rd, 2021, 9:29 am

Not being entirely facetious, but I reckon the whole country has added five points to its blood pressure readings in the last ten months, and a few beats to its heart rate. :D You often don't recognise a gradual increase in stress and general tension, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Funny that we're talking about a sore eye. I've had one of those for the last week or so - no idea why, it's never been a problem before. But improving again now. Might have been a cold virus or something?

I also use an Omron-type sphygnomagomamotopscoreatscrabble device regularly, except mine (from Boots) includes a memory function so that I can keep records. But TBH a lot depends on the time of day, so you do need to make sure you're comparing like with like. Most people start the day with BP relatively low, then reach a crescendo in the afternoons which tails off only very slowly in the evenings. Saddo that I am, I plot my readings on an Excel chart, and my doc is always grateful for that.

The doc always tells me to relax for five minutes, hold my arm level, and then look at the wallpaper and breathe deeply while taking a BP reading. That might be gaming the system, I suppose, but at least it produces consistently comparable conditions. ;)

BJ

wickham
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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372566

Postby wickham » January 3rd, 2021, 9:57 am

Thanks for all the replies. I am on blood thinners, but I've had a bloodshot eye twice now with the new pacemaker which is a different type.

I was told that I would have to go for a check-up but because of Covid this hasn't happened yet. I will ask for my resting heart rate to be set at 60 like it was for the old pacemaker as everything was fine then and a higher heart rate will shorten my life a tiny bit, won't it?

I read once that all mammals tend to have the same average number of heart beats in a lifetime, with variations of course, so that a tiny mouse doesn't live long but has a high heart rate while a tortoise has a long life with a low heart rate.

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372584

Postby richfool » January 3rd, 2021, 10:34 am

I take meds to reduce BP. (Losartan). I monitor my BP with an arm band thing. My heart rate is usually between around 65 - 75, which I understand is normal. I don't take any blood thinners or aspirin.

I have had irritated eyes for well over a month, with at times a clear gel along the lower lids. My GP prescribed some anti-allergy eye drops about a month ago, (based on a telephone consultation).

Late on Xmas Eve, blood suddenly appeared in my right eye. After consulting 111 and a GP ringing me back, I was told to present myself at the local (county) hospital A&E, which I did first thing Christmas day morning. Their main test was to measure the pressure in my eyes, which I was told was OK, and that I had probably burst a small blood vessel in the eye, which can happen from time to time. (I don't know if it had anything to do with getting a blast of hot air in the face when opening the over to check the turkey which we were doing Xmas eve).

The ophthalmic dept of the hospital prescribed me some drops, more like a gel, used to treat dry eye. The bloodshot part of the eye is recovering well, though I still get itchy eyes. My self diagnosis is that it maybe an allergy, or due to the cold weather, or maybe even dry skin particles or moisturiser getting into the eyes.

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372593

Postby Mike4 » January 3rd, 2021, 10:49 am

I too have one (ok, several) of them blood pressure machines, and I too produce large volumes of data with them much to my GP's exasperation. She points out that bp varies widely throughout the day and middle-aged blokes with a BP meter all seem to go nuts producing reams of results and I must stop obsessing about it.

I generally amuse myself by explaining to her I need to take so many results because the first five consecutive results taken in any 15 minute BP-measuring session are always descending before any consistency in results can be achieved. I can SEE her blood pressure rising.

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372595

Postby dealtn » January 3rd, 2021, 10:54 am

bungeejumper wrote:Not being entirely facetious, but I reckon the whole country has added five points to its blood pressure readings in the last ten months, and a few beats to its heart rate. :D You often don't recognise a gradual increase in stress and general tension, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening.



Clearly not the right place to post this, but if its felt worthy of others a thread in "Health and Wellbeing" might be interesting.

The amount of "extra" fresh air and exercise this year, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with family, and occasionally friends, has probably meant lower blood pressure and better health. How many have been introduced to regular walks, and a "Joe Wicks" regime?

Offsetting will be overeating, and over drinking, and no doubt serious impacts on mental health (and non-Covid health).

I don't think its in any way obvious national blood pressures will have risen. It will only be in years to come, and looking backwards, that the enforced changes on our lifestyles will become apparent in the broader considerations of the nation's health.

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372599

Postby servodude » January 3rd, 2021, 11:11 am

Mike4 wrote:She points out that bp varies widely throughout the day and middle-aged blokes with a BP meter all seem to go nuts producing reams of results and I must stop obsessing about it.


I can't have my blood pressure taken
- well I can but I'll register as an emergency case
- it's called white coat syndrome

I can cognitively choose to affect the readings from the machines we use at work for sleep studies (which is fun to mess with the operators who aren't expecting it)
- but I can't easily bring the measurement down intentionally
- once I forget I'm being measured I'll measure fine

-sd

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372612

Postby Arborbridge » January 3rd, 2021, 11:43 am

Mike4 wrote:I too have one (ok, several) of them blood pressure machines, and I too produce large volumes of data with them much to my GP's exasperation. She points out that bp varies widely throughout the day and middle-aged blokes with a BP meter all seem to go nuts producing reams of results and I must stop obsessing about it.

I generally amuse myself by explaining to her I need to take so many results because the first five consecutive results taken in any 15 minute BP-measuring session are always descending before any consistency in results can be achieved. I can SEE her blood pressure rising.


I have an Omron which produces consistent results that seem "believeable" when compared with a 24 hour BP monitor issued by the hospital. I have been in the habit of taking a morning and evening reading (morning always higher) in a group of several days about once a month.

I produced the chart for the GP and said it was about time to have a "proper" 24 hours monitor fitted (which he had suggested a while before). "What's the point - you've already done it" - he said pointing to my results. Well, I persuaded him to fit a 24 hour monitor to corroborate my results, and all is satisfactory.

I'm on a daily dose 10mg Amlodipene, and that seems OK, though by BP is still on the high side of satisfactory.

Arb.

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372713

Postby Lootman » January 3rd, 2021, 3:41 pm

Mike4 wrote:I too have one (ok, several) of them blood pressure machines, and I too produce large volumes of data with them much to my GP's exasperation. She points out that bp varies widely throughout the day and middle-aged blokes with a BP meter all seem to go nuts producing reams of results and I must stop obsessing about it.

I generally amuse myself by explaining to her I need to take so many results because the first five consecutive results taken in any 15 minute BP-measuring session are always descending before any consistency in results can be achieved. I can SEE her blood pressure rising.

I experience the same thing. If I take 5 measurements over a 15 minute period, each reading is a bit lower (i.e. better) than the one before. But by the 4th or 5th time the results are stable and consistent.

My GP said to use the lowest (i.e. last) reading in that case, rather than an average.

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372720

Postby ten0rman » January 3rd, 2021, 4:07 pm

My experience, FWIW.

I've had high BP for something like 30 years or so, Then, probably 15 years ago, I was requested by my GP to start doing home BP readings for which they had prepared a form, and arranged for the surgery pharmacy to supply monitors. After finding that there was a waiting list for the monitors, I bought my own, Omron I think, from Boots.

Since my heart attack, 6 years ago, I have done this every 3 months as requested. The procedure is to take two readings morning and evening, with a 1 minute gap minimum between the 2 readings and in quiet surreoundings with the arm stretched out, and to do this for seven days, so 28 readings in total. This is then submitted to the surgery and one of the support team then calculates an average reading whilst ignoring the highest, and the lowest readings.

Over the 5 years up to August 2019, the BP readings were slowly increasing, sort of 135 ish over 60 ish when they started originally at sort of 120 ish/60 ish. The GP isn't bothered. Pulse rate wasn't asked for, and according to the exercise bike, varied from 55-60 at rest, ie before starting, up to 90 or so when giving it some welly (technical term meaning going flat out, not that flat out means too much for me).

Then I was diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2019, put on a chemo type drug and lo and behold, the BP has dropped to 120 -130 over 60 ish. Resting pulse rate appears to vary and at one point did go over 70 or so, but is now back around 60 ish. Again, the GP wasn't bothered.

I should point out that when I say the GP isn''t bothered, what she actually says is that the readings are satisfactory.

HTH,

ten0rman

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#372732

Postby johnhemming » January 3rd, 2021, 4:43 pm

Lootman wrote:I experience the same thing. If I take 5 measurements over a 15 minute period, each reading is a bit lower (i.e. better) than the one before. But by the 4th or 5th time the results are stable and consistent.

My GP said to use the lowest (i.e. last) reading in that case, rather than an average.

It will take a while to stabilise. The difficulty for GPs is that it takes time and that is difficult when someone is in for a short appointment. I go for the option of a reading in morning and evening because it is a regular time.

However, I have not given any information to the doctors. The last time I tried to speak to my GP I was on the phone 17 minutes and the phone went dead so I decided instead of going to the GP to lose some weight.

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#373588

Postby redsturgeon » January 5th, 2021, 8:10 pm

Moderator Message:
The OPs original question has been answered but the thread still seems alive so I'll move it to Health and Wellbeing with a shadow here

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Re: Does a higher heart rate affect blood pressure?

#376124

Postby effsweet » January 12th, 2021, 8:54 am

Message for Wickham particularly,

Bloodshot eye? i suggest your question should have been "I'm on blood thinners , what might cause a bloodshot eye?' to which an answer might be "what blood thinner are you prescribed? If if it is Warfarinn, what is your current INR? Is it out of range and high? If the answer is yes your dose will be reduced to bring your INR back in range.
I am not a medic so treat this next comment as information to be considered. When this happens to me, & it does infrequently, I take it as an certain indication that my INR is out of range, & immediately take appropriate action.
PM me for more information/discussion. If I understood how to PM you I would have done so with this response.

I hope your eye has 'cleared up"

Stay safe: effsweet


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