Lower blood pressure higher heart rate?

I've had this pacemaker for 10 days now and it set at 60 BPM however it seems if I'm controlling my blood pressure with medication and keep it around 116 / 66 my heart rate seems to go up to about 62 63 BPM which tells me at that point the pacemaker is just in standby mode till it probably gets down to 58 or 59 and then it kicks in. Is this possible or is the blood pressure versus heart rate thing just a coincidence?

2 Comments

Rate Response

by PacerRep - 2018-02-25 23:46:49

The scenario you laid out could be true, however, most pacemakers have rate response turned on which gives the pacemaker the ability to pace the heart at a dynamic rate, usually between 60-110/120 depending on the setting.

The way to know is to look at the mode you are programmed in when you have your next device check. Look for the letter R at the end of the  mode, (i.e. DDDR, VVIR etc)

Up and down

by Gotrhythm - 2018-02-27 14:30:01

I'm no where near as knowledgeable as Pacer Rep. but I have to agree. The fluctuations you notice are independent of blood pressure. My base rate it set at 70. I don't take any blood pressure meds at all, but I still regularly see my pulse rate vary couple of beats on either side of 70. And I'm paced 100%.

But that's only since my latest settings change. Before, my pulse was exactly 70 all the time at rest. It never varied at all. And the percentage paced was lower. 

Go figure.

Again, based only on my experience, unless you're one of those who can feel their pacemaker working, and I'm not, it isn't possible to guess which beats the pacemaker is supplying and which the heart manages on its own.

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