For the doctors re pulse....
 

Just need your opinion and would not hold you responsible. I am 66 yo and take hi blood pressure pills. Resting bp is typically 120 over 80. Resting pulse around 60. My cholesterol is normal and my weight is 170 lbs. However when doing serious hiking in the mountains or walking thru 2 inches of snow yesterday my timex watch reads out 189 pulse if I don't slow down. I believe target max heart rate for my age is 220-66 is around the 150 mark. Am I risking it by doing exercise that takes my pulse up to the 180's occasionally?
Signed off paranoid!
My doc says that my risk for heart attack in the next ten years is 10% considering all factors. Thanks in advance.

Likely not but I'd pace myself a bit slower. Wish I was in as good a shape as you seem to be..

I'd verify the accuracy of the watch (check it with your finger) If it is accurate, I'd wonder how you feel when your heart rate is that high (do you feel winded?). A few things can drive your heart rate beyond an expected rate w/ activity (like mild-moderate anemia, lung disease...). All things being equal, I think you're right for being concerned about a heart rate that high. It may turn out to be nothing but if it happens frequently and seems to be more than one might expect, consider looking for a cause.

They call it "target max heart rate" because that's what they want your max heart rate to be! 180-something is putting you at risk of being a statistic, and we don't want you to be a statistic.

So make it easy for yourself. Keep the timex, but also get one of those wrist bands that monitors your heart rate. That way, all you need to do is look at the read-out on the wrist band while you're exercizing (or having sex). ;)

_

You should get it checked, probably need a stress test, you might have an exercise induced arrhythmia (heart irregularity).

The real problems (heart attack) may not occur when the pulse is real high, but as it is coming down with rest.

Good luck.

Charles

Age adjusted heart rate is only a guide. Your real maximum heart rate is determined by genetics, medication, and life history of fitness. The only way to determine individual max heart rate is by maximal exercise testing. A good bit of advice above for the exercise test if you are exercising at extreme levels at your age and you confirm your heart rate is substantially above estimated.

I suspect your monitor is not working properly.

I'm 47 and my heart rate maxes out at 186 when doing serious hills (15-20%). I do notice my heart rate is high when I'm seriously dehydrated.

In the case of cardiac arrhythmia with very fast heart rates (tachycardia), these devises usually significantly underestimate the pulse rate because the pulses vary in strength, duration, and regularity.

A stress test with an electrocardiogram will tell the story.

Not a doc but I do exercise with a HRM. Something is not right. The exercise you describe is strenuous but not balls out 100% exertion. Max. heart rate should only occur at a strain level that you can't sustain more than a few minutes. That's too high a reading - either the monitor is inaccurate or your heart is going too fast. I would not experiment further and quit heavy exercise until you had a chance to see the heart doc and get a stress test.

Without going back to this exercise level, any idea what the recovery rate was from these episodes (how fast did HR come down after you stopped for a rest)?

Good Luck,

G

I have had a stress test(walking machine pointed uphill) and passed with flying colours. I do not want to be paranoid and start going to specialists when I don't need to. I note all your comments and think that a heart monitor would be an improvement over a timex watch with a pulse readout.

I just find it alarming when hiking in the mountains with a 30lb backpack and I come to a hill and have to stop every 20yards after I get a pulse warning. The warning continues until I reach level ground. Maybe at the age of 66 this is normal and means I should walk slower, have a lighter backpack(ie. do dayhikes !!!!) I don't know what
is normal for my age. I walk about an hour a day at 3mph no problem. Blood pressure is normal when I am seated when I get back. Just the high pulse is alarming when I really exert myself. All your comments are appreciated:)

did they use any fancy names, or fancy machines, during the stress test?

additional "fancy" testing might be the next step, if for no other reason than to allay your concerns, which should be discussed with your PCP at your yearly physical

i think if you can walk (hike) and talk at the same time you are fine. if you are going full tilt..asking for every bit from your heart..you would not be talking.

i would check that meter. do you have an iPhone? the heartrate monitor app is very accurate.

Skeptical about the Timex reading. Just count your pulse at the wrist for 15 sec and then multiply by 4, the old school way.

I think that u could be right. I checked my bp monitor and the pulse readings are signif. lower. I suspect the Timex watch. Thanks again for all your suggestions.

Cool! You just gained 20 years of youth!

Quick, go pee and see if you can get it done in under 20 seconds! Ha ha.

I can't :-(

In a closed system, the pump has to work harder to maintain pressure if the volume is low.

How old is the battery in your watch?

The watch is about 6 mos. old, the same as the battery. I think that I will get the bp attachment that would go with my Garmin gps. Likely a lot more reliable. I will look into it and see if it has pulse + bp readout. Thanks everybody for the troubleshooting.

Post your watch model.

If it does not have a chest strap, the pulse readout is likely bogus. I am sorry, I missed this information, I assumed the timex had a chest strap. There is no good way to get the pulse off the wrist.

Definitely make sure your measurements are correct before going to a specialist. After what you described, I feel more confident of you going on a hike again and just checking the pulse manually.

G

The timex is a watch and it gets the pulse from putting the first finger on the top of the watch. A neighbor in his 40's offered to go on my next summer hike with me. I have not committed to that because I tend to be a loner when I camp/hike. Eat when I want, sleep when I want, get up when I want.The only thing is there is safety in numbers. I tend to hike popular trails so I am never totally alone.

Personally, I would just go to get a stress test before the next big outing and not be self-experimenting. Past performance isn't any indication of current shape of your ticker.

G