Why Women Have Higher Resting Heart Rates

The overall complexity of the heart beat process in women is higher than in men, and this leads to a higher average resting heart rate in women. The average resting heart rate in women is in the mid-70s, while it's about 70 in men.

Heart Rate Dynamics

Actual heart beat power showed greater regularity and energy output in women than in men in a study at the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

Age and Heart Rate

The resting heart rate gets higher with age for both men and women, but heart rates in women remain consistently higher than in men throughout life. Fit people of any age tend to have lower resting heart rates than inactive and obese people.

Women and Too-High Resting Heart Rates

Resting heart rates over 76 beats per minute for women correlate with a higher likelihood of suffering from future heart conditions. With every 10-beat increase in resting heart rate, the risk for heart disease rises.

Measuring the Resting Heart Rate

Take the pulse at the neck, wrist or at the back of the knee first thing in the morning by counting the number of beats in 10 seconds. Multiply that number by six to get the beats in one minute.

Lowering the Resting Heart Rate

Women can lose weight, limit fat intake and incorporate daily exercise to lower their resting heart rate. Women who exercise greatly decrease their risk of future heart issues.

References

• PubMed.gov: Gender- and age-related differences in heart rate dynamics
• U.S. News and World Report: High Resting Heart Rate Spells Trouble for Women
• Healthfinder.gov: Faster Heart Rate May Raise Risk of Heart Attack Death

Resources

• American Heart Association: Resting Heart Rate