When you go to the doctor, your healthcare provider typically checks both your blood pressure and heart rate at the start of your appointment. While both cardiovascular vital signs can provide insights into your health, they provide distinctly different information. Understanding the difference between heart rate and blood pressure – as well as how the two measures can affect one another – can provide you with information you can use to boost your health.
- Heart rate (your pulse) measures the number of times your heart beats each minute.
- Blood pressure measures the pressure with which blood flows against your arterial walls. The top number is the pressure when your heart is contracting or beating, and the bottom number is the pressure between beats when your heart is relaxed.
When both heart rate and blood pressure readings fall within a healthy range, it’s a good indicator that your cardiovascular health is strong. If your heart rate and/or blood pressure readings are too high or too low, it’s a sign that you’re in need of further testing for heart-related health conditions.
If your blood pressure or heart rate is too high for your (or your healthcare provider’s) liking, it’s important to take steps to get measures into a healthy range. Activities that lower one of these measures will usually lower the other.
- Exercise regularly
- Managing stress
- Eating a well-balanced diet, focusing on nutritionally dense, minimally processed foods
- Don’t smoke, and if you do smoke, make a plan to quit
- Monitor at home: Most automated machines provide you with a blood pressure and heart rate reading at the same time. If monitoring at home, please note normal fluctuations in day-to-day readings occur.
Be aware of recommended ranges. If you begin averaging above recommended ranges or have a sudden change in readings, document it, and speak with your health provider.
References:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/heart-rate-blood-pressure
