PHOENIX, July 11 (Phoenix Times Online) — A resting heart rate can be a quick clue about overall health. For most adults, medical groups describe a normal range of 60 to 100 beats per minute. A rate that stays above 100 at rest is usually called tachycardia, or a fast heart rate, according to the American Heart Association, Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Health, Yale Medicine and the British Heart Foundation.
That does not mean every high reading is a crisis. Harvard Health says clinicians usually do not worry unless the resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute. Yale Medicine says a fast pulse can also show up with everyday triggers such as stress, anxiety, caffeine, dehydration or poor physical conditioning.
What can a fast resting pulse signal?
When the number stays high without a clear reason, doctors say it can be a clue to an underlying medical problem. The American Heart Association lists anemia, infection, increased thyroid activity, dehydration, chronic lung disease, severe bleeding, very low blood pressure, heart attack- or heart failure-related heart muscle damage, heart disease and other heart conditions as possible causes. Harvard Health, Cleveland Clinic, the British Heart Foundation and Yale Medicine also point to anemia, overactive thyroid, fever, stimulants and some medicines.
Yale Medicine cardiologist Srijan Shrestha, MD, says anemia can be related to menstruation and blood loss, and in older adults may come from small gastrointestinal bleeds or colon cancer. Yale Medicine says doctors often treat the underlying cause rather than the number itself, such as with iron supplements for anemia or medicines for hyperthyroidism.
Does it always cause symptoms?
No. Yale Medicine says a high resting heart rate may be felt as palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, but some people have no symptoms at all.
How to check a resting heart rate
Yale Medicine says a resting pulse can be checked at the wrist, inside the elbow, neck or top of the foot. To measure it, count beats for 15 seconds and multiply by four. If the pulse seems irregular, count for 30 seconds and multiply by two, or count for a full minute.
When should it be checked?
Henry Ford Health’s Dr. Keteyian says that if a resting heart rate is above 100 or below 50 and cannot be explained by obvious factors such as regular exercise, it should be reviewed by a doctor. Harvard Health and other medical groups say a heart rate that stays high at rest is the pattern that deserves attention, not a one-time spike after stress, caffeine or illness.
