By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-14 06:26:30 | Updated at 2026-08-14 09:56:22
5 hours ago
A simple heart health measurement could be one of the first indicators something sinister is going on with your health.
A person's resting heart rate is a lot more important that people may think, while it may just be a number on a fitness tracker, it can indicate all kinds of stress.
Resting heart rate refers to the number of times your heart beats per minute while your body is at rest - when you're sitting or lying down. The rhythm is set by the nervous system and keeps the body balanced.
A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm), though athletes, fit young adults and people taking beta-blockers often have slower rates. A lower resting heart rate is generally linked to better cardiovascular fitness.
Resting heart rate is most useful when measured the same way each day. Tracking it over time can reveal when something is off, especially if your heart rate stays higher or lower than usual for an extended period.
Michael Snyder, a Stanford geneticist, noticed his heart rate was elevated during an eight-hour flight to Norway - and it stayed high days after he landed. Because he tracked his resting heart rate daily with a smartwatch, he knew something was off.
Concerned, he saw a doctor and raised the red flag. After undergoing blood tests, it was discovered he had Lyme disease. Leaving the tick-borne illness untreated can lead to serious, life-long health complications.
However, because Snyder monitored his resting heart rate, he was able to catch and treat his disease early.
Monitoring your resting heart rate overtime can help indicate if something is off
Snyder's case was in a 2017 study published in the journal PLOS Biology, which found that early model fitness trackers and smartwatches could monitor the body closely enough to spot meaningful health changes before a doctor could.
The study involved 43 participants who wore sensors tracking heart rate, blood oxygen, activity and temperature for up to 11 months. Snyder was the main participant and was monitored for about two years.
The sensors collected over 250,000 measurements from all participants, and researchers found the devices can detect changes linked to heart rate, illness, inflammation, and even insulin resistance.
After analyzing the data, including Snyder’s diagnosis, researchers concluded that the sensors can do much more than count steps - it can show how the body normally functions, how it fluctuates throughout the day and when something starts to change.
One high heart-rate reading alone isn’t a reason to race to the doctor. Resting heart rate can fluctuate for everyday reasons.
Poor sleep, a stressful morning, mild dehydration, early illness or even too much time indoors can impact heart rate.
Resting heart rate refers to how many times your heart beats per minute - while you're sitting or lying down
'There’s no universal ideal resting heart rate,' Cardiologist Dr Cynthia Thaik told The Epoch Times.
'The shift relative to your normal tells you far more than the absolute value,' she added, stressing that one's personal baseline matters more than universal ideal.
A 2016 meta-analysis of 46 studies published in PubMed found that, overtime, a rising resting heart rate was linked to a higher risk of early death, especially from heart disease.
Each ten-beat increase was tied to about a nine percent higher risk.
A few simple lifestyle changes can help keep your heart rate steady.
Staying hydrated is important - when you are dehydrated the volume of your blood decreases, meaning your heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body.
Losing weight, moving regularly, and even practicing slow, intentional breathing can help lower heart rate.
Stress, alcohol and lack of sleep also have an effect on adrenaline and cortisol, which are key drivers of an elevated heart rate.
