What Is A "normal" Heart Rate?

[LindaJoy]

Hi, everyone. I think I may have asked this question in another posting, but I think it was buried under a few other things.

What is the "normal" heart rate for the average adult? According to my new cardiologist, who won't be my cardiologist after Thursday (I found an electrophysiologist who comes to my area once a week, who will take me as a patient. I'm so excited), he wants me on medication to slow my heartrate (which averages in the 70's, sometimes 80's, but not very often, only when I'm having other health issues or on meds, like steroids), because he says my hr is too high for someone my age (43), height (5'4) and weight (112). He says, according to his "chart," I should have a heart rate in the 50's.

I run a 90's / 50's or 60's blood pressure, on average. I feel like, if I'm on heart medicine to hold my hr to in the 50's, I'll be picking myself up off the floor most days.

I also run brady a lot, especially in the evenings. I get pretty sluggish when I do. With this heart medicine, won't I go even lower?

I'm not taking it. I called my heart ablation doc in Columbus, and he said it wasn't the medicine for me, but talking with my neighbor today (granted, he's no medical expert), he said, "Yes, your heart rate should be in the 50's at your age. My doctor says mine should be.) He's in his 70's. Isn't this bradycardia and pretty much reserved for athletes?

I'm probably all wet, but they've got me thinking. Is my heartrate too high? I've always had a hr in the 70's, usually, and I feel fine with it that way. Heck, it keeps me off the floor with such a low bp!

Thanks.

Linda

[summer]

This is news to me! I've been an RN for 20 years. The normal heart rate range for adults is 60 - 100 bpm. Not that you can't be very healthy with a lower rate, but it's not what's expected for most people. Why does he want to slow your heart rate from the 70's?

[MightyMouse]

My HR was 40 to 60 resting when I was a distance runner as a teen and in my early 20's. Now my resting rate is in the high 60's to low 70's--and I'm as fit as I've been in years, working out with a trainer 2x a week for a year and a half. I'm 5ft (okay just under ) and in my early 40's.

Nina

[MomtoGiuliana]

I?ve never heard this either. When my husband had his heart attack his hr went into the 50?s and they were calling it bradycardia. He is 54 yrs old. I agree that all I have ever heard is that normal resting pulse is 60 to 100 bpm. The only thing I?ve heard related to age and hr is the target hr for exercise which is calculated based on age. I wonder if that is what the cardio was referring to?that your hr goes up higher than ideal during exertion?

[ljoeb]

The first cardoiogist I had wasn't at all concerned that my resting heart rate was in the mid to high 40's (46 - 49). I was 47 years old and weighed 300 lbs. I had just spent 3 days in the hospital where everybody, the er doc, my family doc, and all the nurses were extremely concerned that my heart rate was too low. I never got much sleep at night because my heart rate would drop to the low 30's and the nurse would come running in and wake me up all excited.

When I went to see the cardiologist in his office a couple of days after I got out of the hospital, he said that he worked with several "world class atheletes" that had resting heart rates in the low 40's. I told him, "Doc, Your not looking at a world class athelete, but a fat *** 50 year old!" He laughed and then said my problem was neurological and sent me to a neurologist who diagnosed my "sick sinus syndrome" (severe bradychardia) and sent me to a different cardiologist.

My EP Doc after numerous other tests discovered that I not only had sick sinus syndrome, but orthostatic intoloerance. I got a pacemaker placed and it is now humming at a constant 85bpm. That helps keep my blood pressure "stabalized."

[bjt22]

I've never heard of any doctor wanting to medicate a person to keep their heart rate in the 50's. And actually, people who are smaller tend to have FASTER heart rates, not slower heart rates. That's why adults have heart rates lower than they had as children!

For what its worth, when my heart rate gets down into the 50's, I'm very, very sick. With several medications, my resting is still in the 70's or 80's.

[MelissaCrystal]

Before beta blockers, my heart rate was constantly in the high 90s while at resting, and I would get worn out fast during the day. Now that I'm on Toprol, I'm comfortable at 65, but when I stand I go up to 120 so it hasn't really fixed me. Just made me more comfortable at my resting heart rate.

[lorrie]

I feel bad when my HR is in the 50's. I feel best when it is between 70 and 80. I am also 43 and my POTS doctor thinks that is a good range for me as well. I think you should get another opinion before starting this medicine. Trust your own feeling about this.

[nunibenuni]

I've never heard that. That seams like it would be the resting hr of a very fit person. Today, I was at a pain clinic at RIC (rehab. institute of Chi.) and the PT was telling my whole group that a normal hr is 60-100 bpm. Was that the only reason the doc wanted you on that med?

[masumeh]

I'll echo. Your doc is wack. But if it doesn't bother you when it in the 50's, I mean if it actually feels better to you, then it's not so far away from 60 to be concerned; also everyone is really a bit different from others and not necessarily in the "average" to be in their personal "normal".

Bottom line, go with your symptoms when the numbers are borderline.

[LindaJoy]

Thank you, everyone, for your input.

I haven't taken the medicine again, after that first night, and just last night, my heart rate, on its own, went down into the 50's, with my bp 90's / 50's, sometimes 40's. I was really, really wiped out. I stopped the steroid last week, and since then, my hr has been closer to what it normally is (60's and 70's), and I feel fine with it there. Don't know what happened last night, except that I've lowered my thyroid medicine (with doc's okay), and that greatly affects heart stuff. (My ablation doctor at OSU, not the cardiologist here at home who put me on this medication, but the electro doc who did my ablation surgery and who I trust, said it was probably the steroids increasing the hr, and when I came off the steroids, my hr would be better. It has been, for the most part.)

Summer, the cardiologist wanted me on this medicine, initially, because, while in the hospital for a diabetes insipidus test (which came back negative), and while on steroids (probably why I was urinating so much, too), my hr was in the 80's to low 100's (around 85-110, resting). He said that was too high for me, according to some chart, so he wanted me, regardless of circumstances, to have a hr in the 50's, as that was what was normal for me, based on his calculations.

I have been hospitalized more times than I care to mention (just 10 short of my age in the past two years), and they always look at my heart. When it's been in the 50's, I've been monitored and told I have bradycardia, like that's not normal. So, this doc's "calculation" just didn't seem right to me.

Nina, I'm envious that you can be so active. I'm ecstatic for you, but boy, I wish I was right there with ya!

Joe, what is sick sinus syndrome? I've been told that I have that, when I'm brady, but I was never told what it was. What causes it? Is a pacemaker all that can be done to treat it? My ablation doctor told me that he couldn't "fix" my bradycardia with his procedure, and said my bradycardia issue was his next thing to look at. So far, we haven't had enough instances of it to warrant even any real tests for it.

lolo and BJT22, I feel worse when I'm brady than when I'm tachy! I guess I'm so used to being tachy or something. But, the real bad symptoms, where I feel like I have one foot in the grave, comes when I'm brady. You, too?

Well, I did (sort-of) trust my gut, and I think I trusted right, seeing all of your supportive responses, and I see a new cardiologist tomorrow (an electrical doctor), so here's hoping he knows his stuff!!!

Again, thanks, everyone. I feel better, now.

Linda

[mkoven]

My heart rate drops into the 50s and upper 40s-- either when I'm feeling really bad or when I take too much midodrine. As other have said, I feel best when my resting heart rate is between 60 and 75. When it gets over 80, I strart feeling unwell. When it drops below 60, same thing.

[delphicdragon]

Wow, I run a lot faster than most of you. Usually my heart rate is up around 80-100. One doctor told me I had inappropriate sinus tachycardia after a 24 hour holter showed sustained rates in the 140s (this is while I was sick in bed with a fever....). Most other doctors haven't commented. I'm not really sure why your cardiologist would want your heart-rate so low unless there was something else going on. Always thought that normal was between 60 and 100. I asked about that at work, and got the same answer. Average is around 75. Slower when sleeping obviously and supine, and faster when up and working or when sick or dehydrated.

Athletes have much lower heart rates, but I doubt anyone on the board is that caliber of athlete, especially with active POTS. (Maybe I'm wrong and we do have some marathon runners here... )

Sara

[summer]

Wow, I run a lot faster than most of you. Usually my heart rate is up around 80-100. One doctor told me I had inappropriate sinus tachycardia after a 24 hour holter showed sustained rates in the 140s (this is while I was sick in bed with a fever....).

Sara - Glad I'm not the only one here with a fast heart rate. My resting rate rarely goes below 80, and it's not uncommon for it to be 100. That's usually when I'm most symptomatic with POTS - if my resting rate is around 100, then it will probably be 140-150 as soon as I stand up. If my rate is slower (like 80) my heart rate jump is not as much when I stand (might only go up 25-30 beats or so). Actually, I'm sure I read somewhere that most people with POTS have fast resting heart rates, but maybe that's not the case - doesn't seem to be here.

Summer

[bjt22]

Wow, I run a lot faster than most of you. Usually my heart rate is up around 80-100. One doctor told me I had inappropriate sinus tachycardia after a 24 hour holter showed sustained rates in the 140s (this is while I was sick in bed with a fever....).

Sara - Glad I'm not the only one here with a fast heart rate. My resting rate rarely goes below 80, and it's not uncommon for it to be 100. That's usually when I'm most symptomatic with POTS - if my resting rate is around 100, then it will probably be 140-150 as soon as I stand up. If my rate is slower (like 80) my heart rate jump is not as much when I stand (might only go up 25-30 beats or so). Actually, I'm sure I read somewhere that most people with POTS have fast resting heart rates, but maybe that's not the case - doesn't seem to be here.

Summer

Without meds, my resting heart rate was usually between 100-125 bpm. It would go up to 160+ upon standing.