Uncle Wang, 70 years old, has suffered from high blood pressure for many years and has been taking antihypertensive drugs to control it.
However, during this year's regular physical examination, Uncle Wang was found to have a slow heart rate, and the doctor told him to exercise properly and pay more attention to his heart health.
However, Uncle Wang had previously seen the saying "the slower the heartbeat means the better the body" on the Internet, so he didn't take the doctor's words to heart.
But about half a month after returning home, one day he was found fainting at home, but fortunately he was sent to the hospital by his family in time.
Does a slower heartbeat really mean a healthier body? How normal is my heart rate?
1. Rapid heartbeat or longevity, slower heartbeat is longer? Is it credible?
Generally, in a conscious and quiet state, the heart rate of infants is 120-140 beats per minute, that of toddlers is 90-100 beats, that of school-age children is 80-90 beats, and that of adults is 70-80 beats.
In general, a resting heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute is within the normal range. If it is more than 100 times, it is called tachycardia.
Shi Weibin, deputy chief physician of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of the Army Characteristic Medical Center, introduced: There are two main causes of tachycardia: physiological and pathological.
Physiological causes such as physical activity, alcohol consumption, changes in body position, smoking, and agitation can cause tachycardia and usually do not require special treatment. However, if it is a systemic disease or organic heart disease such as hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, myocarditis, etc., it needs to be taken seriously.
Too fast a heartbeat will cause the heart to run at a high speed for a long time, causing problems such as insufficient blood supply to the heart, myocardial ischemia, and also lead to heart failure, heart enlargement and other consequences.
Wen Qibang, an honorary researcher at the Taiwan Institute of Health Sciences and a professor at China Medical University, found through a study of nearly 2 million physical examination data that in addition to high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, smoking and other high-risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, healthy people should have a heartbeat of about 60 beats per minute after lying flat for 5 minutes.
More than 70 beats per minute is considered to be on the fast side, and the average life expectancy may be reduced by 4 months for each additional jump. Heartbeats between 70~89 beats/min will reduce lifespan by an average of 3 years and 6 months, heartbeats between 90~99 beats/min will reduce lifespan by 8 years, and heartbeats exceeding 100 beats/min may shorten lifespan by 13 years.
This study also confirms that a fast heart rate will lead to a shorter life expectancy, and Wen Qibang explained that people with a fast heart rate will beat a lot more than a person with a normal heart rate in the same time, and the load on the heart will be greater, which may lead to a loss of life.
Although a fast heart rate can shorten your life, a slower heart rate is not always better.
Li Xueqi, a member of the Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, reminded that long-term slow heart rate may lead to insufficient heart pumping, resulting in ischemia and hypoxia in the human body, and even sudden death, so we must pay attention to it.
If the number of beats of the heart per minute is less than 60 times, it belongs to bradycardia, if the electrogram of the health examination center shows sinus bradycardia, the heart rate is 50-60 times per minute, it is necessary to be vigilant that it is caused by genetic and environmental factors, and if there are no uncomfortable symptoms, regular observation can be done.
Chen Qingyong, attending physician of the Department of Cardiology of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, reminded that if the heartbeat is lower than 50 beats per minute for a long time, it is necessary to be alert to pathological causes such as sinus syndrome.
2. In addition to slow heart rate, these 6 are also longevity characteristics in the eyes of doctors
Many people want to pursue longevity, and observing many longevity people can find that many longevity people have the following longevity characteristics!
"1 coarse"—thigh coarse
A study published in Endocrine Connections by researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University found that the thicker the thighs, the lower the risk of heart disease and blood pressure in obese patients.
"2 fast" - fast walking, fast bowel movements
A report published in the Mayo Clinic Journal by the Leicester Biomedical Research Center in the United Kingdom found that people who walk fast live longer than those who walk slowly, about 15-20 years longer, through a survey of 475,000 people.
Zhi Min, chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, reminded that when you have the urge to defecate, you can defecate happily and easily, which mostly means that the digestive system is good.
"3 good" - good appetite, good lung capacity, good sleep
Du Changwang, deputy chief physician of the Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, reminded that elderly people will have poor gastrointestinal function, and if they have a better appetite, it probably means that the stomach and intestines are relatively healthy, so that the body will not be malnourished.
People with good lung capacity mean that their respiratory system is relatively healthy, and their physical condition is relatively young, and they will not lose their breath when walking.
People who sleep well will also be in better health, looking younger and living longer than their peers.
Zhang Yingang, chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, reminded that in addition to the above factors, the elderly have an optimistic attitude and also contribute to longevity.
3. Take four simple steps to slow down your heart rate within a reasonable range
Guo Yifang, vice president of Hebei Provincial People's Hospital and director of the geriatrics department, reminded that continuous mental tension and pressure in daily life, as well as long-term drinking of strong tea, strong coffee and alcohol, as well as unhealthy habits such as lack of sleep, lack of exercise, and obesity, may lead to an increased heart rate.
If you want to slow down your heart rate within the normal range, here are a few things to keep in mind!
1. Caution
Usually eat less tea, alcohol, sugar, coffee, tobacco, salt and other foods that can speed up the heartbeat, and control your intake.
2. Exercise and control weight
Appropriate exercise can enhance immunity and exercise heart function, and studies have found that insisting on exercising for more than 3 months can reduce heart rate by 4-5 times/minute. In addition, exercise is also good for weight control, slowing down the heartbeat, etc.
3. Learn to decompress
Being in a state of high pressure and anxiety all the time can lead to an increased heart rate, so you need to learn to decompress.
4. Supplement heart nutrients
Potassium can inhibit myocardial excitability, excrete excess sodium, and reduce the burden on the heart, which can be supplemented by eating foods such as mushrooms, pumpkin, oranges, soybeans, enoki mushrooms, spinach, amaranth, and shiitake mushrooms.
Magnesium can slow down the heart rhythm and help the heart relax, which can be supplemented by eating amaranth, sesame seeds, cereals, mushrooms, beans, etc.
Studies have found that fast or slow heartbeats do correlate with longevity, and that fast or slow heartbeats are not good for heart health. In addition to protecting the heart, the researchers found that most people who lived long had some common characteristics such as thick thighs, good appetite, fast bowel movements, fast walking, and good lung capacity.
Resources:
[1] "The fast and slow heartbeat manipulates life! Beyond that number, there is a way to prolong life. Life Times.2017-12-16
[2] "Fast and slow heartbeat affects lifespan! Doctor: The number of heartbeats is best in this range. Popular Science China.2022-02-24
[3] "Long Life or Short Life? Compare these 20 characteristics to see what kind of person you are. 》. Health Times.2022-08-04
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