To keep the heart healthy people are usually told to watch blood pressure, cholesterol and weight. A report on Anandabazar online says one more number is often left off the list: the resting heart rate, the number of beats a minute while the body is fully at rest.

For adults 60 to 100 beats a minute is considered normal, though many healthy people sit between 55 and 85. Those who exercise regularly may be lower still, and trained athletes can rest in the 40s. A single reading says little; measuring over several days gives a clearer picture.

Georgia cardiologist Jeremy London said on social media that the figure gives a simple idea of how efficiently the heart is working. A heart that can supply the body's needs with fewer beats at rest is considered healthier, and regular exercise strengthens the heart muscle.

The trouble, the report says, is a resting rate that stays high for a long time. Several studies have linked it with heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic problems. Age, sex, outside temperature, dehydration, fatigue and air pollution can also move the rate.

A sudden, unusual drop in heart rate, especially with severe weakness, dizziness, fainting, breathlessness or extreme tiredness, should be discussed with a doctor; some medicines can also slow the heart. The American Heart Association likewise gives 60 to 100 beats a minute as the normal adult resting range.

Photo: Pascal Rehfeldt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Source: Anandabazar