Increase in Resting Pulse Risky for Heart

A rise in your resting pulse during middle age may indicate an increased risk of dying from heart disease, new research suggests. The study included more than 29,000 middle-aged adults. They did not have high blood pressure or heart disease when the study began. Researchers measured their resting heart rate at the start of the study and again 10 years later. They looked at what happened to people whose resting heart rate was under 70 beats per minute at the start of the study. Those whose heart rate rose to 85 or higher in 10 years had a 90% higher risk of heart-related death than those whose heart rate did not rise. The increase in risk was 80% for people who started out with a heart rate of 70 to 85 but had an increase to more than 85. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it December 20.