There are several reasons resting heart rates can be outside of this, including physical fitness level and medication use. What is a normal resting heart rate?Ī normal resting heart rate for most people is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. In other instances, like if you faint, or you are sick with a bad infection, your blood pressure will drop and your heart rate will increase to make up for it. When you are sleeping or digesting food, both tend to decrease. For example, when you are stressed or exercising, both tend to increase. It is true that in some instances they will increase and decrease together. No, heart rate and blood pressure do not increase at the same rate. Heart rate (also called a “pulse”) measures how many times per minute your heart beats.īlood pressure measures how strongly (with how much “pressure”) your heart and blood vessels pump blood to the rest of your body.ĭo heart rate and blood pressure increase at the same rate? They let us know if you might need a medical intervention or medication to prevent future disease: These are vital signs that give us information about how your heart and blood vessels are working. What do heart rate and blood pressure measure? In this piece, we will review what a heart rate is and what a blood pressure is, why they are different, and why they matter for your health and life goals. These numbers can sometimes overlap, and it can be confusing. You also may have an electronic blood pressure cuff at home, which typically checks both blood pressure and heart rate at the same time. These include heart rate and blood pressure, and they give your provider information about how your heart and blood vessels are functioning. At most healthcare appointments, your healthcare provider will check your vital signs.