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Normal Resting Heart Rate By Age (Chart)
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One of the vital signs a nurse checks when you visit the doctor is your heart rate, along with temperature, blood pressure and respiratory rate. Your heart rate, which is measured by your pulse, is an important indicator of your overall health and fitness level. It can signal certain medical conditions or a need to adjust lifestyle habits that elevate your heart rate above the normal range determined by your age.
The normal resting heart rate (when not exercising) for people age 15 and up is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm).
However, your heart rate may vary slightly from the norm due to several factors, including regular exercise, a medical condition, stress and use of some over-the-counter medications.
What Is a Resting Heart Rate?Resting heart rate refers to when your heart pumps the lowest amount of blood your body needs when you're not exercising. Your resting heart rate is measured by your pulse when you're calm, relaxed, sitting or lying down and not ill.
Why Does Your Resting Heart Rate Matter?A heart rate that's too high or low—especially a rate that's higher or lower than your usual resting heart rate—could be a sign of medical issues or other health conditions.
A high resting heart rate could signal an abnormal hormone level, an overactive thyroid, anemia or another potential health issue, such as a heart rhythm abnormality, says Hailu Tilahun, M.D., a cardiologist at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle, Washington. Meanwhile, a resting heart rate that's too low could cause dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue or even fainting, which is dangerous and should not be ignored.
"Different levels of heart rate might reflect certain medical conditions," says Dr. Tilahun. "However, it doesn't always necessarily mean there's something going on. And that's why heart rate is important—because it can be a hint to at least consider exploring those possibilities."
Normal Resting Heart Rate Chart By AgeNormal heart rate varies, according to your age. Below is the normal heart rate by age, according to the National Institutes of Health.
It's also important to know the normal "maximum" heart rate during vigorous activity and the "target" heart rate for your age.
To find your normal maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.
Meanwhile, your target heart rate should be about 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate during moderate-intensity activity like walking. During more intense activity, such as exercising, running or working out with weights, your target heart rate should be about 70% to 85% of your maximum heart rate.
As a general guide, below are the average maximum heart rates and target heart rate zones by age for adults, according to the American Heart Association.
How to Check Your Heart Rate At HomeYou can monitor your heart rate easily by using smartwatches and other fitness-tracking wearables, but it's also simple to check your heart rate manually.
To find your heart rate, place your index and middle fingers gently against the underside of your wrist on the side just below the base of your thumb until you can feel the pulse. You can also measure heart rate by placing two fingers on one of the carotid arteries located on each side of your neck.
Other places where you can check your heart rate include:
After you locate your pulse, count the number of beats you feel for 15 seconds, then multiply that number by four. Alternatively, count the beats for 30 seconds, then multiply by two. If checking your resting heart rate, count the beats when you haven't been exercising or physically active for at least 10 minutes.
There's no best time of day to check your resting heart rate. "You can do it in the morning or in the evening, but you really can check the heart rate at any time," says Dr. Tilahun. "After activity, the heart rate might still be high. Also, you don't want to check your heart rate after resting or meditating for a very long time since that's also not going to be truly reflective."
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What If I Can't Locate My Pulse?If you can't locate your pulse in your wrist, try finding your pulse on your carotid artery or the other parts of your body where the pulse may be stronger. Be careful checking on your neck, though.
"When checking the pulse on the carotid, we have to be a little bit cautious because if it's pressed too hard, it can cause a reflex that leads to lightheadedness and dizziness or may even cause fainting," says Dr. Tilahun.
What Causes a High Resting Heart Rate?Research indicates that a higher resting heart rate is linked with higher blood pressure and body weight, along with lower physical fitness . In addition to medical conditions, such as anemia, high thyroid or hormone levels and blood clots, certain lifestyle factors can cause an elevated resting heart rate, says Dr. Tilahun.
Additional possible causes of a high heart rate include:
When your resting heart rate is in the normal heart rate range for your age, your heart muscle doesn't have to work as hard to pump enough blood to keep a steady beat.
If someone notices an increase in their heart rate within a certain period—after not being physically active for a year or two, for example—but other things haven't changed much with their health, the elevated heart rate could indicate they may need to be more active to lower the heart rate, says Dr. Tilahun.
If your resting heart rate is higher than the normal adult heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute, regular activity is key to bringing the heart rate down. "That activity could be exercise, but it doesn't have to be dedicated exercise. It could be walking, gardening, mowing the lawn or other regular activities," says Tilahun.
"When you're doing the activity, the heart rate is going to be higher, and people sometimes get worried. But that's not an issue—it's what's supposed to happen. Over time, regular activity will lower the heart rate for most people," he adds.
When to See a DoctorIf a higher heart rate is a result of being under stress or consuming a lot of alcohol or caffeine, that's not typically a cause for alarm. However, these situations still warrant a discussion with your clinician, as they can discuss with you how to best address any necessary lifestyle changes.
Meanwhile, adults without an acute condition that might cause an elevated heart rate may also want to contact their doctor if their resting heart rate remains above 100 beats per minute for a few days, says Dr. Tilahun.
"If the heart rate is persistently elevated for more than a few days and there is absence of a clear thing that can explain it, that should be a time to talk to your doctor," he says.
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Your Heart Rate Changes During A Heart Attack, But Probably Not For The Reason You Think
If you've sat in your doctor's waiting room for any length of time, you've likely come across medical brochures or posters with graphics detailing the warning signs of heart attack or stroke. Crushing chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, pain that spreads down your left arm, face, or side of your neck. All are fairly telltale signs of a medical emergency.
What you may not know, though, is that your heart rate can undergo significant change during a heart attack. Depending on the person, it can ramp up or slow down.
"Heart attacks will usually make your heart beat faster," says James Udelson, MD, chief of cardiology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. But in some instances they can also slow things down.
Here, learn how a heart attack can affect your "normal" heart rate, plus other heart attack signs to watch out for, and when to go to the doctor to protect your heart.
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First, what is an 'abnormal' versus 'normal' heart rate?A typical resting heart rate (i.E., the rate your heart beats when you're sitting and feeling relaxed) can range from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm), according to the American Heart Association (AHA). This means, a "normal" heart rate will vary by age, level of physical activity, overall health, and more.
If you're a serious athlete, your resting heart rate might be a bit lower, as low as 40 bpm. "The heart is well-trained in people who're really fit," says Dr. Udelson. "With each beat, more blood is pumped and sent to the rest of the body, so they typically require fewer beats per minute," he adds.
Your resting heart rate might also be below 60 if you take beta blockers, which cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less force, per the Mayo Clinic. Or your heart rate may skew a little higher—around 100 bpm—if you've had caffeine, certain stimulant medications, or you've been exercising, per the Mayo Clinic.
So what's considered a dangerous heart rate? Anything below 60 bpm (that's not "normal" for you) or consistently above 100 bpm per minute can be dangerous. Pay attention to any other symptoms you might be having, call your doctor, and go to the nearest ER as soon as possible. You may have bradycardia (a dangerously low heart rate, per the Mayo Clinic) or tachycardia (a dangerously high heart rate, per the Mayo Clinic), which needs to be treated with certain heart medications.
"Any time you're stressed, your body makes more adrenaline, which raises your heart rate." —James Udelson, MD, cardiologist
What happens to your heart rate during a heart attack?Your heart rate can change over the course of a heart attack. "It'll almost always go up, usually because of the pain," says Dr. Udelson. "And any time you're stressed, your body makes more adrenaline, which raises your heart rate," he adds.
Heart rate fluctuations can happen to anyone during a heart attack. In fact, there aren't any underlying conditions that would cause heart rate changes during an attack, other than the attack itself, says Dr. Udelson.
In rare cases, a heart attack can make your heart rate slow down. This may happen if the heart attack is from a blockage in an artery on the right side of your heart. "A branch of that artery feeds the main pacemaker of your heart. If that artery is affected and the pacemaker isn't getting enough blood, your heart rate can slow down," adds Dr. Udelson.
Your heart rate can also fluctuate depending on the type of heart attack. Some of the most common include:
STEMISTEMI is short for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. This type of heart attack changes how your heart's electrical activity looks on tests like an EKG, per the Cleveland Clinic.
STEMI heart attacks often happen when an artery on the left side of your heart becomes totally blocked, stopping blood flow to that area and causing a severe heart attack, according to the Cleveland Clinic. "Heart attacks involving the left main artery may be associated with higher heart rates," says Ashesh Parikh, DO, a cardiologist at Texas Health Plano and Texas Health Physicians Group.
NSTEMINSTEMI is short for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Unlike STEMI heart attacks, NSTEMIs don't cause a noticeable change to your heart's electrical activity during an EKG. They also happen due to a partial artery blockage rather than a total blockage, so they may be less severe, notes the Cleveland Clinic. NSTEMI heart attacks may or may not raise your heart rate. It mostly just depends on the person and their heart.
Coronary spasmCoronary spasm happens when the muscles in the wall of one of your heart's arteries temporarily gets tighter, reducing or blocking blood flow to the heart. They're not always noticeable, but sometimes they can cause chest pain and even a heart attack, per the Mayo Clinic. And if you're having chest pain, your heart rate might go up as a result.
Keep in mind: A heart attack is different from cardiac arrest. Heart attack is a often a circulation problem, caused by blocked arteries, while cardiac arrest is an electrical problem, where the heart suddenly stops, per the AHA. This means, your heart rate during cardiac arrest completely stops.
Does your blood pressure change during a heart attack?While not common, it can happen. Many people can have a heart attack with "normal" blood pressure and pulse. But the pain and stress of a heart attack can sometimes cause a person's blood pressure to spike, says Dr. Udelson.
And sometimes, it can dip too low. "If you're having a very large heart attack, you could be in shock, which could cause your blood pressure to get very low. That's unusual, but very dangerous," he adds.
Once you get to the hospital, your blood pressure and other vitals, including your heart rate, will be closely monitored and regulated.
Other signs of a heart attackA change in heart rate or blood pressure aren't the only signs of a heart attack. Other red flags include the following, per the Cleveland Clinic:
Call 911 for an ambulance if you or someone you know is having these symptoms, especially if they are severe, last longer than 10 minutes, or if they are high-risk for heart attacks (i.E., they have hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or a family history of heart issues), per the Cleveland Clinic.
When to go to the ERCall 911 immediately if you're having severe, persistent chest pain or other symptoms that feel like they could be a heart attack. "Even if you aren't sure, don't hesitate," says Dr. Udelson. "If you get treatment quickly, you can minimize any damage" to your heart, and increase your likelihood of a full recovery.
The bottom lineThere is no typical heart rate in a heart attack. Your heart rate can fluctuate greatly. More often, heart rate increases due to pain and stress, but sometimes, it can lower if you have a blockage in one of your arteries. It's important to know the signs and symptoms of heart attacks so doctors can treat you and any heart abnormalities you may have.
FAQ What is the timeline of a heart attack?Some heart attacks strike suddenly without warning. Others can cause symptoms (like chest pain or pressure that eases up with rest) for days, weeks, or even months ahead of time, notes the Mayo Clinic.
How a heart attack ends depends on whether a person gets treated. At the hospital, the blocked artery can be opened back up to restore blood flow to your heart. But it needs to happen quickly. "Ideally, a heart attack should be treated within 90 minutes of symptom onset to preserve heart muscle strength," says Dr. Parikh.
Heart attacks that aren't treated (or aren't treated quickly enough) are often fatal. "If you stayed home and were lucky enough to survive, part of the heart muscle would die. The pain would fade away in a day or so, but the heart would be left with damage," says Dr. Udelson.
What should you never do during a heart attack?Never hesitate to call for help. "The number-one thing to absolutely avoid is not calling 911," says Dr. Udelson. "Death from heart attack in the U.S. Has continuously gone down, but it requires getting to the hospital to be treated."
While waiting for treatment, avoid exerting yourself or putting any pressure on your chest, Dr. Parikh recommends. That can increase the demand on your heart to pump more blood, which could make the heart attack even worse.
Can you have a healthy heart and still have a heart attack?Yes, you can. While factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking greatly increase your risk for a heart attack, "about a third of people who come in with a heart attack don't have any of those and it's genetic," says Dr. Udelson. Either way, it's still important to prioritize your heart health, by eating a balanced diet, getting daily exercise, reducing stress, and going to the doctor regularly for checkups.
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Heart Rate
The MAX30105 is an optical sensor capable of a great many things. It can sense particulate matter in the air, or pick up the blinking of an eye. Or, you can use it as a rudimentary way to measure your heart rate and blood oxygen levels. It's by no means a medical grade tool, but this build from [Taste The Code] is still quite impressive.
The MAX30105 contains red, green, and infrared LEDs, and a very sensitive light detector. The way it works is by turning on its different LEDs, and then carefully measuring what gets reflected back. In this way it can measure particles in the air, such as smoke, which is actually what it was designed for originally. Or, if you press your finger up against it, it can measure the light coming back from your blood and determine its oxygenation level. By detecting the variation in the light over time, it's possible to pick up your pulse, too.
Getting this data out of the sensor is remarkably easy. One need only hook it up to a suitable microcontroller like the ESP8266 and use the MAX3010X library to talk to it. [Taste The Code] did exactly that, and also hooked up a screen for displaying the captured data. Alternatively, if you want the raw data from the sensor, you can get that too.
It should be noted that this build was done for educational purposes only. You shouldn't rely on a simple DIY device for gathering useful medical data; there are reasons the real gear is so expensive, after all. We've looked at this sensor before, too, not long after it first hit the market. Continue reading "This Air Particulate Sensor Can Also Check Your Pulse Rate" →
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