PHOENIX, July 11 (Phoenix Times Online) — A resting pulse is one of the easiest health numbers to check at home, and doctors say it can hint at more than fitness alone. A heart rate that stays too high at rest can point to a simple cause, such as caffeine or stress, or to a medical problem that needs treatment, including anemia, infection or thyroid disease.
What counts as normal?
The American Heart Association says a normal resting heart rate for most adults is 60 to 100 beats per minute. The group says a resting rate above 100 beats per minute is called tachycardia, or a fast heart rate.
When does it matter?
Harvard Health says clinicians usually do not worry unless the resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute. The American Heart Association, Cleveland Clinic, the British Heart Foundation, Yale Medicine and CVS all say a fast resting pulse can have many causes, including fever, dehydration, stress, anxiety, caffeine or other stimulants, poor physical conditioning, pregnancy and some medications.
The American Heart Association also says a fast resting heart rate can be linked to heart-related problems, including heart disease, damage from a heart attack or heart failure, severe bleeding, very low blood pressure and chronic lung disease.
What else can it signal?
Medical groups say a pulse that stays above 100 at rest can also point to anemia, infection or an overactive thyroid. Harvard Health and Cleveland Clinic both list anemia and thyroid disease as possible causes. Yale Medicine cardiologist Srijan Shrestha, MD, says anemia in women can be related to menstruation and blood loss, and in older adults it may come from small gastrointestinal bleeds or colon cancer.
What symptoms can come with a fast pulse?
Yale Medicine says a high resting heart rate may cause palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness. It can also cause no symptoms at all, the clinic says.
How do doctors check it?
Yale Medicine says a resting pulse can be checked at the wrist, inside the elbow, neck or top of the foot. The clinic says people can count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by four. If the rhythm feels irregular, Yale Medicine says it can be counted for 30 seconds and multiplied by two, or counted for a full minute.
What happens next?
Yale Medicine says treatment usually focuses on the cause, such as iron supplements for anemia or medicine for hyperthyroidism. Henry Ford Health’s Dr. Keteyian says people with an unexplained resting heart rate above 100, or below 50 that cannot be explained by regular exercise, should see a doctor.
For most adults, the main question is not just the number itself, but whether it stays high and why. The medical groups above all point to the same idea: a fast resting pulse can be a clue, not a diagnosis.
