January 2012

An adult's normal resting heart rate should be between 60 and 100 beats per
minute. And, according to new research published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association, increases in your resting heart rate over time
may mean a greater risk of dying of heart disease. The study looked at 30,000
men and women without any known heart disease and measured their resting
heart rate over a 10-year period. The participants whose heart rate was less
than 70 beats per minute at the first measurement and more than 85 beats per
minute at the next measurement were more likely to die from heart disease or
other causes after 12 years of follow-up. Ulrik Wisloff, the study's lead author,
says healthy adults should have a resting heart rate of about 70 beats per
minute. If it increases more than 10 beats, it may be time to talk to a doctor.