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What Causes Rapid Heart Rate In A Healthy Adult?
Question: I am 45yo & in excellent health. 5'6", 128lbs, 16-18% body fat. Yoga daily, run on a treadmill 3-4 times weekly, long walk 2 times weekly and weight training. I do have a couple of bulging disc that cause sciatic pain & numbness/tingling in my legs. I have recently (past 4 months) developed racing heart rate at night. It is definitely much worse before I have a cycle. Could it be hormone related? I, literally, cannot sleep. I'll doze off & wake up suddenly at the feeling of "forgetting to breath" (for lack of better explanation). I have had a ct. Heart looks great. Overall, my heart rate is running about 10 points higher than my norm. No supplements other than coQ10 & a juice Plus fruit/veggie supplement (when I remember to take them). Diet is very healthy, also. Thanks for your help.
Brief Answer:
Rapid heart rate; should run some tests
Detailed Answer:
Hello. I am Dr. Meriton, Thank you for asking on HCM. I carefully read your concern. I will do my best to address your concern.
As I can understand from your description, you are a physically active person. It is common for the heart rate to go up during exercise. Actually, there is a simple formula for that: 220-age (175 beats per minute in your case), that is accepted as normal during moderate to vigorous exercise. I would go on and tell you that the chest CT (for the heart) does not reveal the electrical or conduction problems of the heart, if they are present.
First, I would recommend you to do an EKG and an echocardiogram, to see whether a problem is elicited there. There is a phenomenon that is called extrasystole ("skipped heart beat"). Happening rarely, it is benign and you have nothing to worry about. Although, I am concerned if these heart beat figures are constant during rest and, in your case, before sleep, and whether they are regular or irregular heartbeats. Therefore, I would recommend you to be put on a 24-hour Holter rhythm monitor, which is practically an EKG recorded for 24 hours.
Regarding the hormonal levels, yes! There is a possibility that some hormones trigger changes in heart's electrical and conduction system, especially thyroid hormones. Besides that, some of the blood disorders, such as anaemia, can also be culprits. I would also recommend you to run these tests:
- complete blood count (CBC);
- blood ferritine levels
- TSH, T3, T4.
I hope I was of help with your query. If you have any further question, I would be ready and happy to help you.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Rapid heart rate; should run some tests
Detailed Answer:
Hello. I am Dr. Meriton, Thank you for asking on HCM. I carefully read your concern. I will do my best to address your concern.
As I can understand from your description, you are a physically active person. It is common for the heart rate to go up during exercise. Actually, there is a simple formula for that: 220-age (175 beats per minute in your case), that is accepted as normal during moderate to vigorous exercise. I would go on and tell you that the chest CT (for the heart) does not reveal the electrical or conduction problems of the heart, if they are present.
First, I would recommend you to do an EKG and an echocardiogram, to see whether a problem is elicited there. There is a phenomenon that is called extrasystole ("skipped heart beat"). Happening rarely, it is benign and you have nothing to worry about. Although, I am concerned if these heart beat figures are constant during rest and, in your case, before sleep, and whether they are regular or irregular heartbeats. Therefore, I would recommend you to be put on a 24-hour Holter rhythm monitor, which is practically an EKG recorded for 24 hours.
Regarding the hormonal levels, yes! There is a possibility that some hormones trigger changes in heart's electrical and conduction system, especially thyroid hormones. Besides that, some of the blood disorders, such as anaemia, can also be culprits. I would also recommend you to run these tests:
- complete blood count (CBC);
- blood ferritine levels
- TSH, T3, T4.
I hope I was of help with your query. If you have any further question, I would be ready and happy to help you.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
I have had all those tests run. All normal. Ekg normal. I've been a personal trainer for 20 years & yoga Instructor for 4. Heart rate elevates normally during exercise (have used the formula for years). My Period isn't the same as it used to be. At all. That's why I was curios if it could be hormone or estrogen related? Or, possibly, even spinal? With my disc problems? Thank you for your help. My dr gave me Xanax for anxiety. No help.
Brief Answer:
24 or 48-hour Holter rhythm monitor
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
Estrogen, mainly its derivative - 17-beta-estradiol, can give you a slight raise in your heart beat. Although, my main concern was if this is a regular or irregular heart beat. That is why I recommended the tests, because my opinion was to exclude any organic reason of this tachycardia or arrhythmia. If you still have not been put on a 24- or 48-hour Holter rhythm monitor, I suggest you to do so.
As for the anxiety, there are a lot of anxiety patterns, but all of them are accompanied by a flush of catecholamines (e.g. adrenaline) in your system, which is characterized by its symptoms (rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, shortness of breath, etc.). My opinion is that, if the organic origin of your concern is excluded, you should consult your treating doctor to switch to an another drug from the benzodiazepines class and/or add a low-dosage antipsychotic or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drug.
I hope I was of help. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish you good health. Best regards.
Dr. Meriton
24 or 48-hour Holter rhythm monitor
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
Estrogen, mainly its derivative - 17-beta-estradiol, can give you a slight raise in your heart beat. Although, my main concern was if this is a regular or irregular heart beat. That is why I recommended the tests, because my opinion was to exclude any organic reason of this tachycardia or arrhythmia. If you still have not been put on a 24- or 48-hour Holter rhythm monitor, I suggest you to do so.
As for the anxiety, there are a lot of anxiety patterns, but all of them are accompanied by a flush of catecholamines (e.g. adrenaline) in your system, which is characterized by its symptoms (rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, shortness of breath, etc.). My opinion is that, if the organic origin of your concern is excluded, you should consult your treating doctor to switch to an another drug from the benzodiazepines class and/or add a low-dosage antipsychotic or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drug.
I hope I was of help. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish you good health. Best regards.
Dr. Meriton
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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