Réponse:
Our pulse (or heart rate) is the rate at which our heart beats over a minute. This rhythm may be regular or not (arrhythmia), too slow (bradycardia) or too fast (tachycardia).
Explications étape par étape:
The heart rate is measured either manually or with a heart rate monitor. To do this, place your index finger and middle finger on the artery of the neck or wrist and count the number of beats you feel over a minute (bpm). The standards are:
- in a resting adult: 60 to 100 beats per minute. The frequency is often higher in women than in men;
- in a newborn: between 120 and 160 beats per minute, this figure decreases as the child grows up;
- in athletes, the heart rate is often low, it can drop to 40 beats per minute;
- the heart rate accelerates in case of physical activity to better oxygenate the muscles, however it must not exceed a certain threshold; to know him, one must subtract his age from: 226 for a woman, and 220 for a man. Example in a 30-year-old woman: 226-30-196. His heart rate during physical activity should not exceed 196 bpm.
Related: Heart failure: spotting shortness of breath
Cardiovascular disease: what does a low heart rate (bradycardia) reveal?
Below 60 beats per minute, we speak of bradycardia, this situation is normal in the athlete or the elderly, but bradycardia can also reveal:
- a potassium deficiency;
- a heart condition;
- intracranial hypertension;
- hypothyroidism.
Any sudden bradycardia should lead to a medical consultation.
Cardiovascular disease: what does a high heart rate (tachycardia) reveal?
Apart from an episode of stress, an acceleration of the heart rate can reveal:
- an inflammatory disease;
- hyperthyroidism;
- a lack of iron (anaemia);
- hemorrhage;
- a pulmonary embolism
- taking drugs or any other exciting (coffee, tobacco);
- a heart condition.
Cardiovascular disease: how does our heart rate regulate?
Apart from any pathological condition, our heart rate is regulated by our autonomic nervous system. We can distinguish:
- the parasympathetic nervous system that slows the heart rate via the pneumogastric nerve (or vagal nerve);
- the sympathetic nervous system that accelerates the heart rate through the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine.
A heart that beats too slowly or too quickly permanently causes heart failure in the long run. It is therefore a good thing to consult your doctor if you find that your rhythm is abnormal.
