Are heart rate and blood pressure the same? No, and it's important to understand why.
By Laura Williamson, American Heart Association News
Lower your blood pressure. Get your heart rate up. Know your numbers.
When it comes to heart health, 理解所有涉及到的数字——应该是上还是下，以及什么时候——可能会让人感到困惑. 但专家表示，重要的是至少要学习一些基础知识，以帮助保持良好的心血管健康.
最常测量的是心率和血压，这是两个不同的东西.
"Blood pressure is the force of the blood moving through your vessels," said Scott Collier, 血管生物学和自主研究实验室主任，布恩阿巴拉契亚州立大学教授, North Carolina. “心率是指一分钟内心脏跳动的次数."
他说，这两项测量都表明心脏将血液输送到身体其他部位的情况.
Heart rate
科利尔说:“你可以通过观察你的心率来判断你处于什么样的状态。. "If your heart is in really good shape, it does not have to beat as many times to get the blood flowing."
大多数成年人的正常静息心率在每分钟60到100次之间. But people who exercise may have lower heart rates, 一些运动员的静息率低至每分钟40次.
However, during exercise, heart rate goes up – as it should, he said. A person's target heart rate during exercise varies by age, 但在适度运动时应该是最大速率的50%-70%，在剧烈运动时应该是70%-85%. For example, 20多岁的人在锻炼时的心率目标是每分钟100-170次, whereas a person in their 50s should aim for 85-145 beats per minute.
许多运动器械帮助人们在锻炼过程中监测心率. So do smartwatches. Measuring heart rate before, 运动期间和运动后可以帮助一个人确保他们足够努力地工作，也可以监测他们的整体健康水平, Collier said.
Dr. John Flack, 斯普林菲尔德南伊利诺伊大学内科教授兼系主任, 他说，重要的是要知道一个人的心率——通常也被称为脉搏率——在不运动时是否一直在正常范围之外，或者心跳是否不规则. Such issues can signal problems such as atrial fibrillation, or AFib, a serious condition that if left untreated can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other complications.
“我们正在进入一个智能手表和其他可穿戴设备的时代，当你的脉搏异常时，这些设备会告诉你，并接收到心房纤颤," Flack said. “脉搏不规则是人们需要意识到的事情. If it's not regular, if it's racing or slowing down, if they're getting funny readings, they need to get it checked."
Blood pressure
血压是血液流经血管壁时对血管壁施加的压力. 如果它们承受的压力太大——如果血压很高——随着线上电子游戏飞禽走兽的推移，压力会损害它们, causing small tears where plaque can build up, narrowing the space left for blood to flow. This makes the heart work harder and less efficiently. 它最终会导致心律不齐、心脏病发作或中风.
根据美国心脏协会和美国心脏病学会, 成年人的正常血压读数是收缩压(上数值)低于120mmhg，舒张压(下数值)低于80mmhg.
Like heart rate, blood pressure goes up during exertion. 这就是为什么不应该在一个人安静地坐了几分钟之后才进行测量, Flack said. “当有人刚刚爬上一段楼梯时，你不会想要吃药的."
美国心脏协会和美国ACC建议在安静地坐着，背部挺直，双脚放在地板上时测量血压. 重要的是，在测量前30分钟内不要喝含咖啡因的饮料，不要运动或吸烟. 应该使用大小合适的袖带，手臂应该放在与心脏水平的平面上, with the bottom of the cuff directly above the bend in the elbow. The cuff should not be placed over clothing.
To keep blood pressure levels within a healthy range, experts say eating a heart-healthy diet, staying physically active, limiting alcohol, not using tobacco products, maintaining a healthy weight, 每晚睡7到9个小时，控制压力会有所帮助. 被诊断患有高血压的人可能需要药物治疗.