The heart beats in rhythm every second. The heart beats in the sinus node, which is located in the right atrium of the human body, and every time the sinus node is excited, it produces a heartbeat. The heart rate is governed by two autonomic nerves: sympathetic nerve and vagus nerve. Sympathetic nerve excitation leads to a faster heart rate, and conversely, vagus nerve excitation leads to a slower heart rate, both in a dynamic balance. There are many misconceptions about heart rate, mainly in the following five areas. Heart rate misconception one: to the hospital to check the electrocardiogram suggests that the heart rate is fast, I am tachycardia. In fact, the so-called heart rate, in the eyes of our cardiologists, mainly refers to the resting heart rate. What is resting heart rate? The resting heart rate is the heart rate measured in the morning after waking up in the right temperature environment, lying in bed, without stimulation such as activity and stress. Nowadays, the popular wrist heart rate monitor can measure the resting heart rate. Many people mistake the heart rate obtained from the ECG at the hospital for the resting heart rate, and feel that their heart rate is too fast, so they become anxious and nervous, which then leads to a vicious cycle. In fact, a person’s heart rate can be greater than 100 beats per minute under tension, fear, stress and various diseases such as fever, hyperthyroidism, respiratory insufficiency, etc. After correcting these external factors, the heart rate can be reduced to the normal range. Myth 2 of heart rate: The heart rate of a normal person is in the range of 60-100 beats per minute. As long as the heart rate is in this range, it is normal. This is also not true, the ideal heart rate should be 50-70 beats/min. If the heart rate is too fast for a long time, the chances of getting cardiovascular disease in the future are also more than those with a slow resting heart rate, and the mortality rate is also high. Patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure, the control of heart rate is more stringent, requiring the best resting heart rate should be at 55-60 beats per minute, research shows that the resting heart rate of these patients exceeds 75 beats per minute, the mortality rate increases significantly. Myth #3 of heart rate: My heart rate is less than 60 beats, my heart is not normal, which means my heart is weak. Some athletes can have a heart rate as low as less than 60 beats per minute, or even 40 beats per minute, which is actually normal. A slow heart rate, as long as there are no symptoms such as syncope or pre-syncope, dizziness and lightheadedness, shortness of breath or chest pain, a slow heart rate instead means that your heart is strong enough and you don’t need to ensure your heart’s output per minute by speeding up your heart rate. However, once the above symptoms appear, you must go to a regular hospital cardiology department for consultation. Heart Rate Myth #4: Irregular heart rhythm means heart disease When the heart beats irregularly, people usually have palpitations, such as the feeling of a missed heartbeat or an accelerated heartbeat, which may be a premature beat, an arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation, or just tachycardia. In most cases, these feelings of palpitations are non-fatal, so don’t be anxious in the first place. Look for the following causes: alcohol, coffee, strenuous exercise, stress, dehydration, effects of medications, fever, abnormal thyroid function, smoking, poor diet. So an irregular heart rhythm does not mean a heart attack. Heart rate myth #5: Just because my heart rate is normal, it means my blood pressure must be normal. There are times when your heart rate and blood pressure rise at the same time, such as when you exercise, get angry, and get sad. But heart rate and blood pressure are not always the same. Just because your heart rate is normal doesn’t mean your blood pressure must be normal, and it can rise or fall. So even if your heart rate is normal, you should monitor your blood pressure regularly.