Frequency of Elevated Resting Heart Rate Among Young Healthy Adults with Normal BMI

It was an observational, cross-sectional study conducted at Ziauddin University, Karachi, from 10th March to 31st August 2021, to investigate the frequency of elevated resting heart rate in healthy young adults with normal BMI. A total of 420 participants were recruited for the study with age ranging from 18-30 years. Subsequently, candidates with normal BMI ranging between 18-24 kg/m2 were selected for the evaluation of elevated resting heart rate (RHR). The participants underwent an assessment of their heart rate at rest with a pulse oximeter whereas, stadiometer was used for height and weight measurements. The frequency of the elevated RHR (HR= 90-100 bpm) was found to be 49.6% with a mean RHR of 90.85 ± 12.45 bpm. The correlation between RHR and body weight was found to be weak (r = 0.141, p = 0.027) showing little or no association. Whereas, RHR and height depicted a moderate negative correlation (r = 0.160, p = 0.012). This study demonstrated high frequency of RHR in a young population. Efforts are needed to control the increased RHR. Key Words: Resting heart rate (RHR), Young adults, Cardiovascular disease (CVD), BMI, Tachycardia.