High blood pressure with a low pulse means your blood is putting more pressure on your vessels (veins and arteries) while your heart beats more slowly.
Blood pressure and pulse are two measurements a doctor may use to monitor your heart function and overall health. While they’re similar, they can each say very different things about what’s happening in your body.
Pulse, also called heart rate, refers to the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Typical pulse measurements for an adult range from
Blood pressure is the measure of how hard your blood pushes against the walls of your blood vessels as it moves through your body. Experts typically recommend keeping your blood pressure around
If you have high blood pressure with a low pulse, it means your blood is pushing with increased pressure on your blood vessels, but your heart is beating fewer than 60 times per minute.
Read on to learn more about what this combination means for your health.
To understand how your pulse and blood pressure can affect each other, think of your pulse as part of an electrical system and your blood pressure as the plumbing in your body.
Your pulse is mainly controlled by
Physical activity, stress, fear, and other factors can speed up your pulse (make your heart beat faster). Being sedentary, having hypothyroidism, electrolyte imbalances, and other conditions can slow it down. Low pulse is known as bradycardia.
Your heart works like an electrical pump that pushes blood through a system of pipes (your blood vessels). The electrical system sets the beat (pulse), and the pipes carry the blood where it needs to go.
When your blood vessels are open and clear, your heart doesn’t have to work too hard, as blood flows smoothly. But if those vessels are narrow or blocked, your heart must pump harder or faster to push blood, raising your blood pressure.
When your pulse and your blood pressure aren’t in sync, it puts extra stress on your heart (like a machine being pushed too hard).
When this happens, you may experience a range of symptoms, including:
- confusion
- intolerance to physical activity
- dizziness
- fainting or almost fainting
- fatigue
- shortness of breath
- weakness
In very severe cases, very low heart rate combined with high blood pressure may lead to cardiac arrest.
Several things can cause a combination of high blood pressure and low pulse.
Thickened heart tissue
Long-term high blood pressure can potentially lead to a low pulse. High blood pressure can cause your heart’s tissues to remodel. For example, the tissue may become thicker in an attempt to beat harder. It’s harder for this thickened tissue to conduct electrical impulses.
As a result, your pulse might slow down because it takes longer to transmit electrical impulses.
Arrhythmias
Some cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) can cause a low pulse while simultaneously rising blood pressure.
When the heart beats too slowly, it may not pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. In response, the body may increase blood pressure to maintain circulation and oxygen delivery. This compensatory response can lead to the unusual combination of a low heart rate with elevated blood pressure.
Blood pressure medications
Some high blood pressure medications, particularly beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers, can also cause a low pulse. In order to lower blood pressure, these medications decrease your pulse, reducing the workload on your heart.
Traumatic injuries or internal bleeding
A traumatic brain injury or bleeding around your brain can also cause a combination of high blood pressure and a low pulse. Both injuries and bleeding increase pressure on your brain, leading to something called the
The symptoms of Cushing reflex include:
- bradycardia (slow heart rate)
- high systolic blood pressure
- irregular or very slow breathing
Seek emergency careCushing reflex is a potentially life-threatening condition. If you’ve recently had any sort of head injury and notice low pulse with high blood pressure, or any of the above symptoms, seek medical care right away.
If you’re taking blood pressure medication and have slightly high blood pressure and a low pulse, this is generally nothing to be concerned about.
But if you’re not taking any medication, it’s best to work with a doctor to figure out what’s going on. This is especially true if you have symptoms of a low pulse, such as dizziness or shortness of breath.
The typical pulse is 60 to 100 beats per minute, as most people’s hearts need to beat at this rate to pump enough blood through their bodies.
Some people may simply have a lower pulse. Examples include athletes or those in very good physical shape. They’ve conditioned their heart muscle to be stronger. As a result, their heart pumps more effectively, meaning it doesn’t need to beat as often.
Exercising can also temporarily raise your blood pressure. So, if you exercise regularly, you may have a naturally low pulse and higher blood pressure right after you work out.
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High blood pressure and a low pulse tend to happen when you’re taking medication for high blood pressure, but it can also be a sign of a serious injury or an untreated heart condition. If you have symptoms like dizziness, shortness of breath, and confusion, it’s important to seek care.
A doctor can help you determine whether it’s anything to be concerned about based on your medical history and symptoms.