Is there a certain pulse rate that is considered having a heart attack?
In: 4
No. Although an elevated or irregular heartbeat can be a symptom of a heart attack, but on its own, such a symptom is a poor indicator of a heart attack when compared to other symptoms. Simply having a certain heartbeat/pulse is not determinative of a heart attack.
No, heart attacks have nothing to do with heart rate.
A heart attack is a blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle itself. The heart doesn’t just pump blood but is itself a muscle that needs its own blood supply. If that gets disrupted it can quickly result in death of parts of the muscle and/or a disruption in the pumping of blood through the body.
“**Tachycardia**” is defined as a heart rate over 100 bpm.
A heart attack is a blockage in the pipes supplying blood to the heart. So a plumbing problem. Cholesterol lines up the pipes narrowing or blocking them, causing a heart attack. This isnt really anything to do with heart rate, but heart rate often goes up if you are having a heart attack to compensate.
BUT,
Blood flow to the heart only occurs when it is relaxed, so, If youve had a heart attack before or have some valve problems, a fast heart rate will reduce the time that blood can get to the heart, meaning you can get chest pain and lack of blood supply/oxygen supply to the heart, causing a heart attack
Hi. Doctor here.
Pulse rates are important and can point towards possible heart attacks but are not specific enough on their own to confidently diagnose a heart attack, as pulse rates can change due to many things, for example:
* Exercise – higher pulse rate
* Low blood pressure – higher pulse rate
* Bleeding – higher pulse rate
* Pain anywhere in the body – higher pulse rate
* Fever – higher pulse rate
* Anemia (decreased hemoglobin in the blood) – higher pulse rate
* Sugar or caffeine rush – higher pulse rate
That being said, pulse rate in combination with other symptoms like chest pain, uncontrollable sweating, breathlessness is correlated to suspect a heart attack.
Fun fact: In one type of heart attack, called an Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction, the pulse rate actually *drops*. But again remember, a lower pulse rate alone is not sufficient evidence of an inferior wall MI either.
Hope this helps 🙂
Latest Answers