Having a resting heart rate of 75 beats per minute (bpm) in middle age could double your risk of an early death, research suggests. Men with a resting heart rate of 75 or above in their fifties were twice as likely to die within the next two decades compared to those with a rate of 55bpm or less. And every additional resting heart beat per minute was linked to a three per cent greater risk of death from any cause.
The research was carried out by the University of Gothenburg and led by Dr Salim Bary Barywani, of the department of molecular and clinical medicine. Resting heart rate is the number of times the organ beats per minute while you are not exercising. A normal reading ranges from between 50 to 100bpm, the authors wrote in the British Medical Journal's publication Open Heart. A lower heart rate generally indicates better cardiovascular health and overall fitness. To uncover how changes in our heart rate may affect the risk of an early death, the researchers analysed 798 men. They were all born in 1943. The men completed a questionnaire in 1993 on their lifestyle, stress and any family history of heart disease. They were also given a medical check-up, which included measuring their resting heart rate.
The men were divided into four groups: Those with a resting heart rate of 55bpm or less; 56-to-65bpm; 66-to-75bpm; and more than 75bpm. Resting heart rate was measured again in 2003 and 2014 among the 654 and 536 participants, respectively, who were still alive and willing to take part
