What Is a Good Heart Rate for My Age Chart?

As per the American Heart Association (AHA),

• if you are an adult, your heart rate should be in the range of 60 to 100 beats per minute.
• And if your age is between 6 and 15 years, your heart rate should be anywhere between 70 and 100 per minute.

Yes, 72 beats per minute is a good heart rate. According to the American Heart Association, your risk of dying from a heart attack is lower if your heart rate is below 80 beats per minute.

A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. However, it is healthier to have a heart rate that is at the lower end of the range.

Before you become worried about your heart rate, it is important to know the things that can increase or decrease your heart rate. 

Your heart rate might be increased

• Soon after you consume coffee or smoke
• Whenever you feel scared, anxious, or stressed out
• If the climate is hot and humid
• If you are obese
• If you are on certain medicines like decongestants
• If you indulge in binge drinking frequently

Health conditions that may increase your heart rate and could be improved upon by treatment 

• A thyroid disorder like hyperthyroidism
• Low hemoglobin level in the blood (anemia)

Some conditions like supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) may cause a sudden increase in your heart rate at rest. This is a medical emergency and needs immediate medical attention. This condition may lead to sudden death.

Consuming heavy amounts of alcohol frequently can lead to a fast and irregular heart rate (atrial fibrillation). This again is a medical emergency.

A persistent high heart rate can also mean that the heart muscle is weakened, which forces it to pump harder to deliver the same amount of blood. 

You may have a lower resting heart rate due to

• Exercising regularly
• Low levels of thyroid hormones in the body (hypothyroidism)

Certain medications like beta-blockers, which are used for treating hypertension and anxiety

You should also be concerned about your heart rate if you notice your heart beating at an irregular rhythm frequently. This can be a serious condition known as arrhythmia for which you should see your doctor right away.

If your heart rate is consistently above 100 bpm and you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness, you should go to the ER

Tachycardia or fast heart rate occurs when your resting heart rate is faster than normal, which is about 60-100 beats per minute.

If your heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute and you experience the following symptoms, you should go to the emergency room:

• Chest pain or discomfort that is severe, unexpected, and followed by shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or weakness
• Angina-type chest pain (radiating to the left shoulder, back, or left little finger) that lasts longer than 15 minutes and is not relieved by rest and medication (nitroglycerin)
• Shortness of breath that continues even after rest
• Sudden weakness or paralysis in your arms or legs
• Sudden onset of a severe headache
• Dizziness
• Fainting spell with loss of consciousness

Atrial or supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)

SVT is a fast heart rate that originates in the upper chambers of the heart (atria) and disrupts electrical signals coming from the sinoatrial node, which acts as the natural pacemaker of the heart. It causes an irregular, fast heart rate, resulting in incomplete filling of the heart chambers between contractions and compromising blood flow to the rest of the body.

• Signs of SVT include:
  • Fluttering in the chest
  • Bounding pulse
  • Angina (chest pressure, tightness, or pain)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue
  • Syncope (fainting)
  • Light-headedness or dizziness
  • Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
• Risk factors of SVT include:
  • Age (children are at increased risk)
  • Sex (women are at increased risk)
  • Anxiety
  • Fatigue
  • Alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco use
  • Congenital heart disease
• Treatment options for SVT include:
  • Carotid sinus massage (involves applying gentle pressure on the neck where the carotid artery splits into two branches)
  • Valsalva maneuver (involves holding your nostrils closed while blowing air through your nose)
  • Sedation
  • Rest
  • Limiting or completely avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco

Sinus tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia is a normal increase in heart rate in response to various factors.

Causes of sinus tachycardia include:

• Anxiety
• Fright
• Emotional distress
• Fever
• Vigorous exercise
• Anemia
• Severe bleeding
• High thyroid activity
• Heart muscle damage due to heart attacks

Treatment involves addressing the cause of sinus tachycardia.

Ventricular tachycardia

Ventricular tachycardia is a fast heart rate that originates in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles).

• Causes of ventricular tachycardia include:
  • Lack of coronary artery blood flow, blocking oxygen to the heart tissue
  • Cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) distorts the structure of the heart
  • Side effects of medications such as thyroid hormones
  • Illegal drug use such as cocaine and amphetamines
  • Sarcoidosis (an inflammatory disease that affects skin or body tissues)
• Symptoms of ventricular tachycardia include:
  • Nausea
  • Light-headedness
  • Fainting
  • Dizziness
  • Palpitations
  • Shortness of breath
  • Cardiac arrest (in extreme cases)
• Treatment options for ventricular tachycardia include:
  • Medication
  • Surgery
  • Radiofrequency ablation
  • Electrical defibrillation