Enlarged Heart

[Deliveredenergy]

Yes, exercise is a definitely a good thing for the ticker. It may be just something known as athletic heart for obvious reasons. The fact that your BP has been found to be high sounds like it may be part of the story though, hence starting the tablets. Once your ECG results are back it will be easier to know more. Only further advice I guess would be to ensure any health professional you talk to regarding this is aware of your sporty lifestyle and is taking that into account.

[daz3210]

So basically after all the investigations it may be something that is perfectly normal for me? (Obviously based on my 'sporty' lifestyle)

I don't know if its any kind of indicator, but I wear a 'heart band' at the gym that links in with the cardio machines. I have seen my heart rate go over 155 without any ill effects such as chest pain, just a definite knowledge that my heart is beating fast (I can feel it beating when its at that rate). The cardio machines go mental when I push so hard, telling me to slow down since the heart rate is too high.

Edited by daz3210 on Friday 13th April 15:42

[Deliveredenergy]

I'd say probably not given the BP history and well known links here but without going back in time and preventing a few years of raised BP that I wouldn't bet on a definite answer.

[daz3210]

I guess I can hope.

Have you any experience with these so called 'blood pressure reducing' devices such as Resperate or the Lloyds Pharmacy equivalent?

[Deliveredenergy]

I wasn't aware of these but have just had a look at the website, they essentially force you to relax by controlling your breathing. The 2011 NICE guidance says "Relaxation therapies can reduce blood pressure and people may wish to try them. However, it is not recommended that primary care teams provide them routinely".
I'd say evidence is a long way from being overwhelming, with nothing you'd call large scale published and nothing in a world class journal. The issue with evidence from trials on devices like this is that you can't escape the placebo effect because there's no true control (no treatment) group in the same way you can generate controls in a pharmaceutical trial by giving sugar pills. You'd probably get similar results by taking a group of people and telling them to listen to some calming music for 15 mins a day and it would lower their blood pressure.

[essexplumber]

Is going over 155 bpm bad then? I've been going to the gym for a month or so and have seen it as high as 197 and regularly at 169

Im 33 non smoker/drinker and slightly overweight.

[goldblum]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_ventricular_hype...

The left ventricle (the 'pumping' side),which contracts to pump oxygenated blood through the aorta and supply oxygen to your body,is quite similar to skeletal muscle and will grow if you do enough training.It is quite common with endurance athletes.This is called Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.There are other reasons for an enlarged heart though.Sorry to reference Sh*ttypedia but in layman's terms it has explained LVH quite simply.Before you start to panic,read TREATMENT.

[essexplumber]

goldblum said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_ventricular_hype...

The left ventricle (the 'pumping' side),which contracts to pump oxygenated blood through the aorta and supply oxygen to your body,is quite similar to skeletal muscle and will grow if you do enough training.It is quite common with endurance athletes.This is called Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.There are other reasons for an enlarged heart though.Sorry to reference Sh*ttypedia but in layman's terms it has explained LVH quite simply.Before you start to panic,read TREATMENT.

So basically don't exercise?

[goldblum]

essexplumber said:

goldblum said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_ventricular_hype...

The left ventricle (the 'pumping' side),which contracts to pump oxygenated blood through the aorta and supply oxygen to your body,is quite similar to skeletal muscle and will grow if you do enough training.It is quite common with endurance athletes.This is called Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.There are other reasons for an enlarged heart though.Sorry to reference Sh*ttypedia but in layman's terms it has explained LVH quite simply.Before you start to panic,read TREATMENT.

So basically don't exercise?

LVH in itself is not necessarily dangerous when caused by exercise.If the myocardium has thickened for another reason though it should be investigated.

[R300will]

essexplumber said:

Is going over 155 bpm bad then? I've been going to the gym for a month or so and have seen it as high as 197 and regularly at 169

Im 33 non smoker/drinker and slightly overweight.

I'd say 155 is okay but 197 is too high. There is a formula that says 220 - your age so for 33 it would be 187 as your maximum.

[goldblum]

R300will said:

essexplumber said:

Is going over 155 bpm bad then? I've been going to the gym for a month or so and have seen it as high as 197 and regularly at 169

Im 33 non smoker/drinker and slightly overweight.

I'd say 155 is okay but 197 is too high. There is a formula that says 220 - your age so for 33 it would be 187 as your maximum.

All that'll happen when you reach your absolute max is you'll have to slow down back to aerobic levels of exercise.MaxHR has a +/- accuracy of 12 b.p.m. when worked out with the 220 - age formula,so it's possible your maxHR is considerably higher than you think.

[R300will]

goldblum said:

R300will said:

essexplumber said:

Is going over 155 bpm bad then? I've been going to the gym for a month or so and have seen it as high as 197 and regularly at 169

Im 33 non smoker/drinker and slightly overweight.

I'd say 155 is okay but 197 is too high. There is a formula that says 220 - your age so for 33 it would be 187 as your maximum.

All that'll happen when you reach your absolute max is you'll have to slow down back to aerobic levels of exercise.MaxHR has a +/- accuracy of 12 b.p.m. when worked out with the 220 - age formula,so it's possible your maxHR is considerably higher than you think.

or lower

[daz3210]

I think the gym machines work at 80 or 90% of max HR for best training levels.

When Playing hockey I have worn a HR monitor and seen levels of up to around 190 HR, but who knows how often and for how long (machine only recorded Max HR)

[daz3210]

As an aside I just checked my BP at 140/90 after a monster gym session

Thats about ehat I would have expected for my normal level

[goldblum]

daz3210 said:

I think the gym machines work at 80 or 90% of max HR for best training levels.

When Playing hockey I have worn a HR monitor and seen levels of up to around 190 HR, but who knows how often and for how long (machine only recorded Max HR)

Not long,but possibly often.If you're a professional athlete toying with lactate levels,you'll manage about 30 seconds tops,and that's very generous.To dip into anaerobic

glycolysis as often as good hockey players do you'd need excellent aerobic endurance as well to allow for recovery.

[daz3210]

goldblum said:

daz3210 said:

I think the gym machines work at 80 or 90% of max HR for best training levels.

When Playing hockey I have worn a HR monitor and seen levels of up to around 190 HR, but who knows how often and for how long (machine only recorded Max HR)

Not long,but possibly often.If you're a professional athlete toying with lactate levels,you'll manage about 30 seconds tops,and that's very generous.To dip into anaerobic

glycolysis as often as good hockey players do you'd need excellent aerobic endurance as well to allow for recovery.

I hasten to add its roller hockey I play (think Ice Hockey with less padding), so it is a sport where bursts of activity and then recovery are common

[goldblum]

daz3210 said:

goldblum said:

daz3210 said:

I think the gym machines work at 80 or 90% of max HR for best training levels.

When Playing hockey I have worn a HR monitor and seen levels of up to around 190 HR, but who knows how often and for how long (machine only recorded Max HR)

Not long,but possibly often.If you're a professional athlete toying with lactate levels,you'll manage about 30 seconds tops,and that's very generous.To dip into anaerobic

glycolysis as often as good hockey players do you'd need excellent aerobic endurance as well to allow for recovery.

I hasten to add its roller hockey I play (think Ice Hockey with less padding), so it is a sport where bursts of activity and then recovery are common

Ah yes it's classed as an 'intermittent' or 'interval' sport,from the perspective of fitness demands/energy systems used and high HRs are expected.

[daz3210]

I am now confused by the BP thing.

A couple of minutes ago, my BP was 181/1-6.

Now its 150/96

All I have done is climbed a flight of steps prior to the two steps.

If it can fluctuate so much can a reading be relied upon?

[goldblum]

daz3210 said:

I am now confused by the BP thing.

A couple of minutes ago, my BP was 181/1-6.

Now its 150/96

All I have done is climbed a flight of steps prior to the two steps.

If it can fluctuate so much can a reading be relied upon?

If the test conditions are valid (i.e. same time,same place every day),then yes.Take your BP sitting down,keep still and breathe evenly for three minutes then inflate the cuff.Try to avoid running up the stairs beforehand,obviously.

[daz3210]

Update, and a question.....

The Nurse Practitioner prescribed Ramipril to reduce my blood pressure. 6 days in, my blood pressures have risen from 136/88 to 174/106 at same time of day and as near same conditions as I can get.

Is this normal?