Association between change in heart rate over years and life span in the Paris Prospective 1, the Whitehall 1, and Framingham studies

Researchers compared repeated resting heart rate readings, meaning the number of heartbeats per minute when a person is relaxed. They used three long-running observational studies, which followed adults in France, Britain, and the United States without assigning treatments. People whose resting heart rate rose over the years generally had shorter survival than people whose rate stayed similar. A falling heart rate was not automatically a sign of better health. Existing illnesses and medicines may have affected both heart rate and lifespan.

What this means for you: Do not buy a device or try to lower your heart rate solely to live longer. The results suggest that a rising resting heart rate may be a warning sign, but they do not prove that changing it will extend life.