The third number on most home blood pressure monitors is your pulse rate in beats per minute, detected from the pulsations the cuff picks up during the measurement. It is not part of your blood pressure, and the American Heart Association gives 60 to 100 as a normal resting rate for adults.
A pulse read from the cuff straight after climbing the stairs or during a stressful call is not a resting pulse: MedlinePlus (2025) says resting heart rate should be measured after at least 10 minutes of rest.
What is the third number on my blood pressure monitor?
The third number on most home blood pressure monitors is the pulse rate: how many times the heart beat per minute while the cuff was measuring. It usually sits below the systolic and diastolic readings, often in smaller digits, and carries a label such as PUL, PULSE or /min, or a small heart. Unlike systolic and diastolic, it is a count of beats, not a pressure in mmHg.
In the example reading of 128/82 with a pulse of 71, the 71 is the heart rate. Where the pulse appears, and what it is called, depends on the model:
| Monitor | How the pulse is shown | Display guide |
|---|---|---|
| A&D UA-651 | PUL/min, printed on the case beside the third number | UA-651 |
| Braun ExactFit 3 | Pulse rate (PUL), with a heart symbol that flashes while the pulse is detected | ExactFit 3 |
| Sanitas SBM 21 | PULSE /min, beside a pulse symbol | SBM 21 |
| Omron M3 Comfort | Pulse rate in beats per minute, shown after the measurement | M3 Comfort |
| Omron 5 Series (BP7200) | Pulse rate; when you recall memory, the memory number fills that spot for about 1.5 seconds | 5 Series |
| Withings BPM Connect | Called heart rate, on an LED screen built into the cuff unit | BPM Connect |
Descriptions are summarised from our monitor display guides.
How does a blood pressure monitor measure my pulse?
An automatic blood pressure monitor measures the pulse with the same oscillometric method it uses for blood pressure. A sensor picks up the pulsations each heartbeat sends through the artery under the cuff, and the monitor converts them into the numbers on the screen. Depending on the model, this happens while the cuff inflates (the Omron 5 Series manual says the cuff deflates after the pulse is detected) or while it slowly releases air, as on the A&D UA-651.
The A&D UA-651 manual (2021 edition) says the monitor bases its measurements on the heartbeat. It asks you to stay as still as possible while the heart mark blinks with each detected beat, warns that a very weak or irregular heartbeat can make a reading hard to get, and shows a pulse display error when the pulse is not detected correctly.
What pulse rate is normal on a blood pressure monitor?
For adults, the American Heart Association gives a normal resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute when sitting or lying down, calm and feeling well; the British Heart Foundation gives the same range. A monitor's pulse after the five minutes of quiet rest the AHA asks for before a blood pressure reading is close to a resting rate rather than a strict one, since MedlinePlus asks for at least 10 minutes of rest.
| Source | Who the range applies to | Resting pulse |
|---|---|---|
| American Heart Association, 2024 | Adults sitting or lying down, calm and feeling well | 60–100 beats per minute |
| British Heart Foundation, 2026 | Adults | Usually 60–100 beats per minute |
| MedlinePlus, 2025 | Adults, including seniors, and children aged 10 and over | 60–100 beats per minute |
| MedlinePlus, 2025 | Well-trained athletes | 40–60 beats per minute |
The American Heart Association notes that a resting rate outside that range is not automatically a problem: below 60 may be bradycardia but can reflect fitness, sleep or medicines such as beta blockers, and over 100 may be tachycardia but is not always a sign of a problem.
The same AHA page advises telling your healthcare professional if your heart rate has been slower or faster than usual, and calling 911, or your local emergency number, if it is "suddenly very high or very low for you", especially with symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting. A physician quoted by AHA News in 2023 also said an irregular, racing or slowing pulse should be checked.
Is pulse the same thing as blood pressure?
No. On a home blood pressure monitor, the top two numbers are pressures in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and the third is a count of heartbeats per minute. AHA News (2023) describes blood pressure as the force of blood pushing against the blood vessel walls and heart rate as the number of times the heart beats per minute, so a reading of 128/82 with a pulse of 71 is two pressures and one rate.
Pulse rate is also not pulse pressure, which is the gap between systolic and diastolic in mmHg, explained with its formula in how to calculate average blood pressure: the example reading of 128/82 with a pulse of 71 has a pulse rate of 71 and a pulse pressure of 46 mmHg.
How accurate is the pulse reading on a home monitor?
Pulse accuracy on a home blood pressure monitor depends on the model, so the figures to check are in the specifications section of your own manual. As examples, the Omron Evolv (BP7000) manual lists a pulse range of 40 to 180 beats per minute and an accuracy of ±5% of the display reading, and the A&D UA-651 manual lists 40 to 180 beats per minute and ±5%, so a displayed 70 could be about 3 to 4 beats either way.
An irregular-heartbeat icon, which Omron's Evolv manual shows when it detects a rhythm 25% slower or faster than the average two or more times during the measurement, is explained in what the symbols on a blood pressure monitor mean. Neither the icon nor the pulse number is a diagnosis, and Omron's Evolv manual asks people with common arrhythmias to consult their physician before using the monitor.
Why doesn't my monitor's pulse match my watch or oximeter?
A blood pressure monitor, a smartwatch and a pulse oximeter measure heart rate by different methods and usually at different moments. The cuff works from pressure pulsations picked up during the measurement, an Apple Watch uses green LED lights and light-sensitive photodiodes to detect blood flow at the wrist, and a fingertip pulse oximeter passes light through the skin. Heart rate also changes from minute to minute, so readings taken a few minutes apart can differ.
The American Heart Association lists everyday things that change heart rate, including standing up (a small rise that settles within minutes), stress, anxiety and pain, exercise, temperature, body size, and medicines such as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, which can slow it. Apple itself says the watch may not get a reliable heart rate reading every time for everyone.
To compare devices, take the readings at the same sitting, seated and still, with the watch or oximeter on the arm without the cuff. Each device has its own tolerance: the Omron Evolv and A&D UA-651 manuals state ±5% for pulse. How an oximeter takes its reading is covered in how to use a pulse oximeter.
Should I write the pulse in my log?
Yes, if your monitor shows it. Pulse is optional in a blood pressure log, but it is useful: write it next to the systolic and diastolic values, with the date and time of the reading. Omron's Evolv manual asks users to keep a record of blood pressure and pulse readings for their physician, and the American Heart Association notes that people taking a beta blocker may be asked to monitor and log their heart rate.
The column carries information of its own: a 2023 review by Grassi and colleagues in Hypertension Research summarised epidemiological studies linking a higher resting heart rate with a greater risk of cardiovascular events in people with high blood pressure. Recording is not acting, though, and Omron's manual says medication should not be adjusted based on the monitor's results.
- Measure the same way each time. The AHA's home monitoring guidance asks for no smoking, caffeine or exercise for 30 minutes beforehand, at least five minutes of quiet rest, and two readings one minute apart. The weekly routine is in how many blood pressure readings a day.
- Copy the pulse exactly as shown, and note "irregular heartbeat icon" or "error, repeated" when either happens.
- Keep other devices separate. A pulse from a watch or oximeter goes in its own entry, labelled with the device.
The free printable blood pressure log has an optional pulse column. In the Monitor2Log diary, a photo of a blood pressure monitor fills in systolic, diastolic and pulse, and nothing is saved until you check each row, because scanning can misread a digit. The scan reads only blood pressure monitor screens and handwritten blood pressure notebook pages, not oximeter or watch screens; oximeter readings (SpO2 with pulse) are typed in by hand, and the print report can show averages for each column.
Sources
- American Heart Association, 2024, All About Heart Rate: resting range, what changes it and when to seek help.
- British Heart Foundation, 2026, heart and pulse rate: what's normal and how to check it.
- MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2025, Pulse: resting ranges for adults and athletes, and rest before measuring.
- OMRON Healthcare, 2020, Evolv BP7000 instruction manual: measurement method, pulse specifications and record-keeping.
- A&D Medical, 2021, UA-651 instruction manual: display labels, pulse specifications and pulse errors.
- Hypertension Research, 2023, Grassi and colleagues' review of high blood pressure with an elevated resting heart rate.
General information only, not medical advice. What your pulse readings mean for you, and whether anything should change, is for your own clinician to decide.