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The resting heart rate of a 70-year-old woman is typically between 60 and 100 bpm.
Resting heart rate is usually the number of times the heart beats per minute (bpm) while you are at rest, either sitting or lying down.
According to American Heart Association (AHA), the resting heart rate of a 70-year-old woman is between 60 and 100 bpm where the average RHR is 73 bpm.
At what rate is a resting heart rate considered dangerous?
A lower resting heart rate (RHR) usually indicates that your heart is performing more efficiently and is in better shape.
- You can have an RHR of 40 if you are physically fit, were an athlete, or are on a medication called beta-blockers. However, a low RHR of 50 bpm or less may potentially be a warning sign.
- This is especially true if you have symptoms, such as lightheadedness, shortness of breath, or fainting. This could be a symptom of issues with the electrical pathways in the heart.
An RHR greater than 100 may indicate an infection, heart arrhythmia, or a deteriorating heart condition. Studies have linked a raised RHR to an increased chance of dying prematurely.
14 factors that influence resting heart rate
- Body temperature: When you get overheated or underheated, your body detects a thermal stress load. The blood is supplied to your skin to help with heat distribution to keep you cool or warm.
- Air temperature: Either a rise in temperature above 70°F or a fall below 35°F, your heart rate increases by at least two to four beats per minute (bpm). Your heartbeats may raise over 10 bpm with an increase in humidity of over 90 percent.
- Emotions and anxiety: An increase in anxiety or intense emotions, such as stress or happiness, can cause your heart rate to increase.
- Medications: The heart rate can either reduce or increase depending on the medication. Ask your doctor about any medications you are taking and how they affect your heart rate.
- Body position: Heart rate varies with your body position. The heart rate is higher by three bpm while sitting than lying down and further increases while standing.
- The terrain: As you walk or run uphill, your heart rate rises. When you walk or run downhill, your heart rate drops.
- Dehydration: As you become dehydrated during a lengthy walk, hike, or run, your blood thickens and waste materials accumulate in your bloodstream. To maintain a steady cardiac output, your heart will have to work harder. During physical activity, you may lose fluid from the body through sweat. A fluid loss of three percent of body weight increases the pulse rate due to a decrease in circulating blood volume.
- Wind: As you walk or run along the direction of the wind your heart rate decreases. If you walk or run against the wind or opposite to the direction of the wind, you need to exert more and your heart rate increases.
- Low blood sugar: While performing any physical activity, the sugar stored in the muscles will be consumed, so to keep up with the demand for fuel, heart rate increases so that the muscles gain more glucose and oxygen through the blood. This helps maintain the same walking or running speed.
- Inadequate nutrition: The heart rate increases whenever there is nutrition depletion.
- Improper sleep: With inadequate or improper sleep, the heart rate increases.
- Inadequate recovery following any physical activity: With physical activities, such as walking, running, or hiking, the heart rate increases. The heart rate continues to be high or increases even further if there is no adequate recovery time.
- Recent illness: The heart rate increases if you suffer from any illness. Increased heart rate indicates any insidious illness that you are unaware of or may indicate any fore coming illness.
- Yoga: Performing regular yoga and meditation reduces heart rate in the long run.
What are the causes of low heart rate in the elderly?
A low heart rate, often called bradycardia, can lead to serious health complications. Fainting, dizziness, weariness, shortness of breath, chest aches, and memory issues are some of the symptoms.
A comprehensive medical evaluation should be performed to discover the cause of your low heart rate, but here is a brief look at what causes low heart rate in the elderly.
- Heart attack
- Heart block
- Complications of a heart surgery
- Hypothyroidism (hypoactive thyroid gland)
- Abnormal heart rhythms due to medications
- Damage to the atrioventricular (AV) node in the heart, which is responsible for cardiac impulses for a study heartbeat
- Imbalances in the electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium
- Congestive cardiomyopathy (cardiac muscle defect, leading to an abnormality in the pumping of blood)
- Stroke
- Sick sinus syndrome (inability of the sinus node to generate impulses for a steady heart rate)
- Inflammatory diseases of the heart
You can cure bradycardia by exercising, controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol, quitting smoking and drinking, managing stress, and using other heart disease medications. Consult your doctor about the best course of action to follow.
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What are the causes of high heart rate in the elderly?
It is natural to have a faster heart rate when engaging in physically demanding activities, but if your heart rate is greater than 100 beats per minute while resting, you have tachycardia.
If left untreated, this can lead to potentially fatal complications, such as heart attack, stroke, sudden cardiac arrest, and death.
The reason for tachycardia is not usually known, but here are a few possibilities.
- Changes in blood pressure in old age with posture
- Exercise-induced tachycardia
- Medication-induced tachycardia due to postural hypotension (prostate medications and blood pressure medications)
- Fever
- Anemia (low red blood cells)
- Intake of excess alcohol or caffeinated beverages
- Dehydration
- A sudden increase in stress
- Smoking
- Hyperthyroidism (hyperstimulation of thyroid gland)
- Imbalance in the electrolytes of the body
Tachycardia can be treated with drugs for underlying conditions, surgery, or the insertion of a cardioverter or pacemaker. If you have any concerns, always consult your doctor.
