Cardiologist warned about the danger of a low pulse trend

Recently, low resting heart rate has become a popular trend: its indicators are demonstrated even on social networks. Fitness enthusiasts are increasingly seeing pulse rates of 49-62 beats per minute. Evgeny Kokin, a cardiologist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic), Candidate of Medical Sciences, told Izvestia on October 15 about when a rare pulse is a sign of health and when it is an alarming symptom.

"A pulse below 60 beats per minute is called bradycardia. If you are a marathon runner or a professional cyclist, whose myocardium is so strong that it releases the required amount of blood in fewer contractions, this is the norm. But if you are an office worker who last ran for a bus, and your pulse is 52 at rest, this is a reason for an ECG," the cardiologist emphasized.

A critical heart rate is considered to be below 40 beats per minute when awake. Kokin warned that if blood pressure drops against the background of such a pulse, it counts for minutes. It is also necessary to urgently consult a doctor with sudden dynamics: if the usual pulse is 70, and for three days in a row it is 45 for no reason, this is a red flag. Immediate help is required if the heart rate is below 30.

An ECG, daily monitoring and a stress test help to distinguish physiological bradycardia from pathological bradycardia. The doctor explained that an athlete's physiological bradycardia develops over the years, while pathological bradycardia often occurs suddenly. In a healthy person, the pulse rate in a dream can drop to 35-38, but if it is the same on the couch during the day, it is a syndrome of weakness of the sinus node.

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Doctors told how overweight, smoking, physical inactivity and poor sleep trigger vascular disasters.

Darkening of the eyes when getting up, weakness, confusion, chest pain and fainting should also be alerted. The expert emphasized that fainting is an absolute indication for an emergency visit to a cardiologist.

The pulse rate is affected by age, gender, genetics, and medications. Kokin said that in newborns, a pulse of 140 is the norm, and in an elderly person, 60 is already an achievement. If a person is not an athlete, bradycardia can hide coronary heart disease, myocarditis, hypothyroidism, hyperkalemia. The doctor warned that high potassium levels can stop the heart.

Kokin noted that the pulse should be measured in the morning, without getting out of bed, after five minutes of rest, counting 60 seconds. According to him, smart watches often make mistakes with low heart rate and arrhythmias. And a high resting heart rate above 70-75 is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disasters.

"You need to monitor a high pulse even more carefully than a low one. If your heart is rattling under 90 at rest, check for hemoglobin, ferritin, thyroid hormones and do an ultrasound of the heart," the cardiologist concluded.

Cardiologist Valeria Bonadykova noted on September 25 that shortness of breath after intense exertion is normal, but a change in its habitual nature may indicate health problems. Warning signs: lack of air during exertion, which previously did not cause difficulties, shortness of breath after stopping or at rest, difficulty breathing while lying down and waking up at night. According to her, this may be due to heart failure, sleep apnea, bronchial diseases (asthma, COPD) or pulmonary embolism, especially after flights or operations.