Heart rate and cardiovascular mortality: the Framingham Study

Researchers followed 5,209 adults in the Framingham Heart Study, beginning when they were 30 to 62 years old. They recorded each person’s resting heart rate, meaning how fast the heart beats while sitting quietly, and tracked deaths over many years. People with faster resting heart rates were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, meaning disease affecting the heart and blood vessels. This link remained after considering other risks such as age, smoking, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

What this means for you: A consistently fast resting heart rate may be a warning sign, but this study does not prove that lowering it will prevent death. It is useful background for discussing your overall health with a clinician, not a reason to buy a particular product or treatment.