What is a normal heart rate?

Among our body organs, the heart is very important. It is the source of power for our whole body. We will do an electrocardiogram during the physical examination. Do you know what is a normal heart rate? Heart rate refers to the number of times our heart beats per minute. If your body is normal, then the beat of the pulse and the heart rate are consistent. Whether the heart rate is normal is also related to whether our body is healthy.

The method of measuring heart rate clinically is very simple, but its significance is great. So what is a normal heart rate? Many people with cardiovascular diseases have abnormal heart rate. By measuring heart rate, we can also discover the existence of some cardiovascular diseases as early as possible, which is very important to us.

1

The normal heart rate for an adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute, but most people take the middle value, with the majority falling within the range of 70-90. Among them, men beat slower, while women beat faster. Heart rates tend to be faster when one is emotionally excited or exercising, and slower when one is resting or idle.

2

Children's heart rate is generally faster, most of which are between 90-130. The younger the child, the faster the heart rate tends to be. This is common knowledge.

3

Professional athletes have relatively slow heartbeats, only about 60 times per minute. Some adults with heart disease have heart beats over 100 or even 120. This is tachycardia, which is a problem and requires medical attention.

What is the ideal heart rate for the elderly?

Normal heart rate is different when you are resting and when you are exercising.

Heart rate at rest: Generally speaking, the younger you are, the faster your heart rate. The elderly have slower heart rates than the young, and women have faster heart rates than men of the same age. These are all normal physiological phenomena. In a resting state, the normal heart rate for adults is 60 to 100 beats per minute, and the ideal heart rate should be 55 to 70 beats per minute (the heart rate of athletes is slower than that of ordinary adults, generally around 50 beats per minute).

Heart rate during exercise: A person's maximum heart rate is approximately 220 minus age. The best effect is achieved when the heart rate reaches 65% to 85% of the maximum heart rate during exercise. For example, for middle-aged people aged 40 to 50, the heart rate during exercise should be controlled at 118 to 153 beats per minute; for the elderly over 60 years old, the heart rate during exercise should be controlled at 104 to 135 beats per minute. However, for patients with heart disease, the heart rate during exercise should be controlled at 55% to 75% of the maximum heart rate.

Heart rate is inversely proportional to life expectancy

Scientists have found that heartbeat may be inversely proportional to life span, that is, the slower the heartbeat, the longer the life span; the faster the heartbeat, the shorter the life span. If an adult's resting heart rate is maintained at around 60 beats/minute, his or her life expectancy can reach 93 years old; on the contrary, if his or her resting heart rate is greater than 80 beats/minute, his or her life expectancy will be significantly shortened.

Heart rate changes are closely related to many diseases, especially heart disease. When an adult's heart rate exceeds 100 beats/minute (generally not more than 160 beats/minute) at rest, it is called sinus tachycardia, which is common in people who are excited, agitated, smoke, drink alcohol, drink strong tea or coffee, or in pathological conditions such as infection, fever, shock, anemia, hypoxia, hyperthyroidism, heart failure, or after the use of drugs such as atropine, epinephrine, ephedrine, etc.

When an adult's heart rate is lower than 60 beats/minute (generally above 45 beats/minute) at rest, it is called sinus bradycardia, which can be seen in healthy people and athletes who engage in heavy physical labor for a long time; or in hypothyroidism, increased intracranial pressure, obstructive jaundice, and overdose of digitalis, quinidine or propranolol. If the heart rate is lower than 40 beats/minute, atrioventricular block should be considered; if the pulse strength is unequal and irregular and the pulse rate is less than the heart rate, atrial fibrillation can be clearly diagnosed. If the heart rate exceeds 160 beats/minute, or is lower than 40 beats/minute, it is mostly seen in patients with heart disease, and is often accompanied by discomfort such as palpitations and chest tightness. A detailed examination should be carried out as soon as possible so that treatment can be targeted at the cause.

A large number of clinical studies have confirmed that people who have a faster heart rate when at rest have a significantly increased risk of developing various cardiovascular diseases. Data show that people whose heart rate is often fast when at rest (i.e., greater than 80 to 85 beats per minute) are significantly more likely to develop cardiovascular risk events such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and sudden cardiac death than those with a slow heart rate.

Everyone should know more about what is a normal heart rate. We should test our heart rate more often, especially the elderly. By measuring abnormalities in heart rate, we can also discover the existence of some diseases in time. In particular, heart rate and cardiovascular diseases are closely related. We should exercise more to better train our heart function.