Heart rate with PAF

[intheweeds]

Hello, just reaching out to see if anyone knows why my Fitbit shows my daily resting HR is 53 bpm but when nurse took my BP it showed my HR as 43?

I have PAF so maybe my heart took a 'flappy' turn during my BP test. But I am mystified and welcome any advice. Many thanks.

[mjames1]

Did the nurse take your heart rate (HR) at your wrist pulse, or was it just a read out from the blood pressure machine? Taking HR at pulse is the most accurate. Can't talk to the accuracy of fitbit but my Apple Watch can be off at times. If you can take your own pulse at wrist or neck, that would be most accurate. Also, HR can vary during the time of day and dependent on activity level and even what/when you ate.

Jim

[intheweeds in reply to mjames1]

Thanks for your excellent reply, which makes me think. The nurse just took one HR figure from the BP machine. Also it was first thing in the morning before I got really active.

[mjames1 in reply to intheweeds]

Not the most accurate way to measure heart rate and half the time they don't even know how to take BP correctly. Last time they took it over my sweater without raising my arm to heart level.

Jim

[intheweeds in reply to mjames1]

Aha. Come to think of it my arm wasnt at heart level either.You have been most helpful thanks

[mjames1 in reply to intheweeds]

That probably wouldn't effect the HR reading, but it might effect the BP. If you can feel your pulse at the wrist, counting beats with a watch will give you the most accurate heart rate. Try 30 seconds and multiply by 2. A full 60 is even better. The first beat is "0".

Jim

[intheweeds in reply to mjames1]

I did it and find that my HR at the wrist matched my fitbit HR.Thanks again for your advice. I had not known that 0 is the first number in the count.

[BlueINR]

Your heartrate is constantly changing. That's true for all of us.

[Easternmost]

I don’t think that Fitbit’s are that accurate. I had an episode of SVT last week and the Fitbit showed no more than 120bpm - my daughter put her Apple Watch on me and it said 220bpm - spot on to the readings that the paramedics got on their equipment.

[intheweeds in reply to Easternmost]

Thats interesting and a bit scary. I will keep that in mind. Many thanks for your insight.

[credimus]

For around six years my HR has averaged around 46. I had open heart surgery eighteen months ago - valve repair and no one including my surgeon was unduly concerned about it.

[intheweeds in reply to credimus]

Good to know thanks so much.

[john-boy-92]

Heart rate monitors (HRMs) aren't that accurate if you have AF. That can be compounded if the HRM uses LEDs to determine blood flow. For the same reason, the nurse measuring my blood pressure during a Bruce Protocol test used an "old fashioned" sphygmomometer with the manual bulp pump and analogue dial. I've mentioned that some readouts on gym equipment see AF as an error and drop that data segement, or smooth the reading by averaging. A five lead ECG is the gold standard.

I've also had nurses who want to measure blood pressure over a sweater and are not concerned at the level of your arm. It's an imperfect world.

[intheweeds in reply to john-boy-92]

I agree ecg is the way to go.

[Desanthony]

I thought the read out from your fit bit was the average for that day so it will go up and down as it will go up and down daily too.

[intheweeds in reply to Desanthony]

Makes sense and my fitbit HR seems pretty steady day by day, so it must be the average.

[frazeej]

Last time in the GP's office, nurse measured my HR and O2 with an oximeter on my index finger. She asked me if my heart rate is always this low, 44bpm. Told her it was wrong, she said can't be. Also registered my O2 at 100%, which was also wrong. Didn't matter-went into the chart as HR 44, O2 100%. So much for data. I suppose next time they'll be pushing panic buttons over my "elevated" (and correct) HR of 72bpm and O2 <100%. Sigh.

[intheweeds]

That is so similar to my own experience. I really appreciate your reply thanks