Normally, blood pressure increases from resting level with exercise. Based on
criteria used for exercise treadmill tests, any decrease in blood pressure during
exercise might be a sign of heart disease. The same is true, to a lesser extent, if
there is a failure of the blood pressure to increase with exercise. Once exercise
has stopped, blood pressure should return to resting levels and may even drop to
slightly below pre-exercise levels for a while based on a number of factors, like
any medications one might be taking, overall fitness level, and the type and
duration of exercise.
The whole question of what your fall in blood pressure really means depends on its
timing. If it occurs during exercise or soon after stopping, talk to your doctor
about having some sort of stress test (an exercise treadmill test or a stress
echocardiogram), because, even though you feel well, this could be a warning sign
of early heart disease. It may not be, but the exercise testing will help sort this
out.If you have any risk factors for heart disease (smoking, high blood pressure,
diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels, or close relatives with heart disease before age 45),then a treadmill test might be an even better idea.
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