# Am I Going To Drop Dead? Low Diastolic, Low Pulse



## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

I went in to the acupuncture clinic yesterday and the nurse was freaking out over my blood pressure and pulse numbers. Her and the herbal doctor were quite concerned.

I'm 35 years old, I an 5'6" tall, weigh 145lbs. 

My blood pressure was checked at 127 over 50. My pulse rate was recorded at 47 bpm.

Lately, I have been doing interval training and intense cardio work. I have also added a couple 1000 ft. hill sprints to my weekly training and I feel great.

How normal is this in comparison to other fit cyclists around here? Am I simply fit or am I going to drop dead in the middle of a ride? 

Thanks!


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## Kai Winters (Aug 23, 2009)

Medical folk have scales/ranges for such things and when a reading is outside of those scales they tend to roll their eyes up into their heads and start calling for the "paddles".
Cardio fitness can and does lower blood pressure and pulse...that's that. 
Whether you are going to drop dead or not? I don't know and if you are worried you may want to ask your doctor...it is not a bad idea to get a physical every year anyway and the medical folk usually recommend it once you hit 35 and goodness me you are 35 so there ya go.

I also caused a nurse, was donating blood to the Red Cross, to have a fit some time ago. She was doing the preliminaries and taking my pulse/blood pressure. My pulse registered 38, which was my resting pulse at the time due to training for a marathon. She loudly shouts to her "boss" "we can't use his blood" meaning mine because my pulse was too low and out of their range. It was actually a bit humiliating as many co-workers were in the room and stared at me like I had a plague...seated next to me was this fat bloke who smoked and took no care of himself...they took his blood. 
I did make a big stink of it, even writing letters to the Red Cross, but nothing came of it except I've never, and never will, donate to those morons again.

Your pulse is fine, not even that low, but I'm not sure about your blood pressure.
Here is a cool chart I found merely by googling "blood pressure ranges". 
I bet if you tried hard you may have been able to do the same.
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/medicine/blood-pressure.htm


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## newfield (Apr 19, 2006)

Your pulse is quite normal for a fit cyclist,systolic pressure is average and your diastolic pressure is low.How accurate was the pressure gauge being used and how practiced the nurse? Blood pressure readings vary widely but if you're concerned go see an MD


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

Yup you will probably drop dead, in about 100 years or so. If you ever have surgery, they may need to artificially raise your BP.

b21


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## zoikz (Sep 5, 2003)

I've seen this before. They usually die.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

My last check up my BP was 120/60 and my HR 42 BPM....The doctor didn't blink an eye 

I'm going on 39 right now and no issues other than going from laying down to standing up to quickly....with low blood pressure and low HR, if you lay down for a while then stand up quickly...your heart can't get the blood pumping quickly enough causing you to get a bit...uh...dizzy, blacked out, etc.


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

Thanks! 

That's what I thought. I am full of energy, no dizziness or anything. The first time they ran the BP I was 130 over 46. They tried it a second time and it was 127 over 50.


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## Sriajuda (Jan 7, 2009)

Your DP and SP are strangely apart - check that reading, it might be erronous. From what i know, though, a low DP compared to the SP is a good sign, showing that your arteries are very supple & flexible.


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## the mayor (Jul 8, 2004)

I hate to break the news to you...
but you only have about 60 years left to live...give or take 15 years.
I recommend making the best of it, enjoy your friends and family.. and living what you have left of your life to the fullest.
I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you.


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## mtbbmet (Apr 2, 2005)

It could be an acurate measurement, though I doubt that diastolic number, and you could just have wild swings in pressure. Very common.
Next time you are at the grocery/pharmacy stop in and see if they have an automated cuff there. Take your reading, do your shopping, then take another reading on the way out. Don't get worked up over one reading, these things need to be trended. But then again, getting worked up stresses you out, which in turn raises your BP. So maybe do get worked up over it. 
Your HR seems fine, nothing alarming there.
I have exactly the opposite problem. My BP spikes as soon as I see a BP cuff. Last time I went to the dentist it was 167/95 and my HR was 105. I'm usually 125/70, HR 45. I had no idea that dentists stressed me out so much. My GP says totally normal.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

probably the biggest risk you face would be taking medical advice from a 'herbal doctor'


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## flyingheel (Aug 30, 2008)

I agree with stevesbike - to get decent medical advice go see a human doctor, not one who treats herbs.


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

This has been about the average result. A little lower. Usually 125-130 over 50-55 (46). I think the high number might be psychological as I get excited to see what I "score". The low is consistently low. The pulse rate keeps dropping. 

Well... they treated my leg for $5. Lol!!! I may just get a total physical with cardio etc... just out of curiosity.


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## crazyc (Jun 5, 2008)

I wish the majority of my patients had BP's and HR's like that.
Absolutely nothing wrong with those numbers.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

Sriajuda said:


> Your DP and SP are strangely apart - check that reading, it might be erronous. From what i know, though, a low DP compared to the SP is a good sign, showing that your arteries are very supple & flexible.


Yeh, 127 isn't all that low. Recent guidelines recommend keeping below 120. At 35 y.o., yer probly screwed. Sorry. Crazyc must be comparing you with male native americans on the res in N. Dakota (lowest avg. life expectancy in U.S.). As for me, I want to be a female of asian ancestry, living in Bergen County, NJ when I grow up (highest avg. life expectancy in U.S.).


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## crazyc (Jun 5, 2008)

Yeh, 127 isn't all that low. Recent guidelines recommend keeping below 120. At 35 y.o., yer probly screwed. Sorry. Crazyc must be comparing you with male native americans on the res in N. Dakota (lowest avg. life expectancy in U.S.). As for me, I want to be a female of asian ancestry, living in Bergen County, NJ when I grow up (highest avg. life expectancy in U.S.).

Perhaps I should clarify, the majority of patients that I see have HTN and a good
number with uncontrolled HTN ( systolics over 200 and diastolics over 100), so yes
I do wish more of my patients had numbers more in line with 130/50. 
And as for me I am content with being a male and have no fantasies or desires
to be a female, Asian or not. And whats the point of living longer if you spend
the majority of your life stuck in New Jersey traffic.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

crazyc said:


> And whats the point of living longer if you spend
> the majority of your life stuck in New Jersey traffic.


My wife is stuck in NJ traffic on the way home from the hospital where she works as I post this. :cryin:


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

I'm thinking the 127 may be a little excitement on my part because I like getting my stats. I tried a calming exercise before doing an auto BP test and I was 115 over 51.


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## bigskychuck (Jul 14, 2008)

A low heart rate in an active, fit individual is good if there are no symptoms associated with it. 

Your low diastolic pressure means you have a widened pulse pressure (it's the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures). Interestingly, a lower heart rate can be a factor in widening the pulse pressure (short stature can contribute too). 

Charlie


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