Have you ever paid attention to your heart rate?

The oxygen and carbon dioxide we breathe, the nutrients we ingest and the metabolic waste we excrete, as well as the biological signaling molecules involved in various physiological and pathological functions, all rely on the blood to carry and transport, and the heart is the core power source of blood flow. Heart rate, the rate at which the heart beats per minute, reflects the basic state of the heart's work.

The number of times the heart beats per minute in a quiet, awake, inactive state is called a "resting heart rate." Medically, the normal value of resting heart rate in adults is 100~0 beats/min. Resting heart rate is one of the parameters of vital signs and is a very important physiological indicator.

靜息心率超過 100 次/分稱為“心動過速”，可由酒精、咖啡因、煙草、某些藥物的攝入，緊張、焦慮等情緒狀態，發熱、睡眠不足、貧血、肥胖、甲狀腺功能亢進、水電解質紊亂、心臟疾病發作等各種生理或病理因素導致；靜息心率低於 60 次/分稱為“心動過緩”，可由水電解質紊亂、部分藥物、心肌炎性疾病、心臟衰老、自身免疫性疾病、甲狀腺功能減退等因素導致，規律體育鍛煉的健康人也可出現心動過緩的現象，運動員的靜息心率可低至 40 餘次/分。

Tachycardia can make people feel chest tightness, palpitation, and long-term high-load operation of the heart also has potential cardiovascular health risks. Bradycardia is a normal phenomenon for people who exercise regularly, and it is a manifestation of a stronger and more efficient heart after exercise, but if it is bradycardia caused by disease, it means that the heart is not able to maintain a normal frequency of beating, and the body will therefore have insufficient blood supply, and people will be prone to dizziness and fatigue, and even confusion, fainting and even sudden death in severe cases. Therefore, tachycardia, or bradycardia with uncomfortable symptoms of ischemia and hypoxia, it is necessary to seek medical attention in time. When clinicians encounter patients with abnormal heart rates, they also need to carefully screen, find the triggers, and treat them accordingly.

So, is it okay to sit back and relax if your heart rate is within the normal range? As one of the most industrious organs in the human body, is there a difference between good travel and hard work for health?

Actually, there is.

The faster the resting heart rate, the lower the lifespan

最近，Nature 子刊上刊登的一篇研究納入了三個國家一萬余名沒有初始心血管疾病的健康參與者，縱向跨度數十年，對比后統計分析發現：無論男女，靜息心率的增加都與壽命的減少存在顯著的統計學關聯。其中，法國的 7976 名男性的統計結果顯示：靜息心率與壽命之間存在反比線性關係，即：心率越快，壽命越低。靜息心率最低的（≤60 次/分）比最高的（＞90 次/分）小組平均壽命多了 9 歲。

美國的佇列研究納入了 3299 名男性和 4001 名女性受試者，在已故的四千余名受試者中，男性和女性的靜息心率均與壽命呈負相關。但在每個相同的靜息心率分組中，女性的壽命都比男性長（平均 5 年）。

The association between resting heart rate and life expectancy is not new.

As early as 1997, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) published a review that concluded that resting heart rate is inversely related to life expectancy in mammals, based on previous studies. However, due to the lack of retrospective analyses of large populations, the authors were unable to draw a definitive conclusion about the relationship between heart rate slowing and human lifespan.

Over the years, more studies have confirmed the relationship between resting heart rate and life expectancy.

Across the animal kingdom, there is a universal link between heart rate and life expectancy across species. For example, the heart rate of rats is generally 6~0 / min, and the lifespan is generally several years; The resting heart rate of whales is generally 0~0 beats/min, and the lifespan can reach decades. In animal experiments, a 0% reduction in lifetime resting heart rate in mice using a drug was associated with a 0% increase in median lifespan, a significant difference from the placebo group, meaning that resting heart rate itself can be an independent factor affecting life expectancy.

In population-based studies, individuals with higher resting heart rates tended to have higher blood pressure and body mass index, lower levels of physical activity, and worse lung function. These features are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Elevated resting heart rate is also associated with an increase in inflammatory factors, an increase in adverse cardiovascular events, and a poor prognosis for cardiovascular disease, which may explain the specific mechanism by which resting heart rate affects life expectancy.

In addition, domestic public health scholars have also conducted a prospective study on 80 cases of elderly people over 0 years old in China, and also found that the risk of all-cause mortality increases with the increase of resting heart rate.

These methods

Can reduce heart rate healthily

So, since keeping a low resting heart rate has such obvious longevity effects, what can be done to lower our heart rate healthily? In fact, there are still some cliché methods, simple but effective:

1. Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and maintain an appropriate weight;

2. Try to get enough and regular sleep

3. Try to keep the environment cool, comfortable and well ventilated;

4. Try not to smoke or drink;

5. If coffee, tea and other beverages cause palpitation and discomfort, it is necessary to appropriately reduce the intake of caffeine beverages;

6. Pay attention to mental health and try to maintain a peaceful state of mind.

In daily life, it is best to develop the habit of regular self-measurement of heart rate or wear heart rate monitoring equipment, if you find that the heart rate is persistently high, or the heart rate is persistently low and accompanied by dizziness, fatigue and other ischemic manifestations, seek medical attention in time to find out the cause. However, it is important to note that while lowering your heart rate is good for your health, the process needs to be gradual and not rushed. Whether it's physical exercise or weight control, you need long-term persistence and a long stream of water to see results. If you are in a hurry and cause a sports injury, or if you are emotionally anxious because of the slow results, the gains outweigh the losses.

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