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Pensioner Daniel Green Records 'world's Slowest Ever Heart Beat' At 26bpm
Pensioner, 81, records 'world's slowest ever heart beat' at 26 bpm - lower than Olympians Bradley Wiggins and Mo FarahA British pensioner has stunned doctors after he recorded what could be the world's slowest ever heart beat - slower than the world's top athletes and even that of an elephant.
Super-fit Daniel Green, 81, could not believe it when medics said his heart rate had dropped to just 26 beats per minute - lower than Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mo Farah at rest, 35bpm and 33bpm respectively.
Mr Green was having a check-up when doctors said his resting rate was 36bpm but dropped to 26 - lower than the world record.
Daniel Green, 81, has recorded what could be the world's lowest ever heart rate
The official Guinness World Record holder is Martin Brady, 45, of Guernsey, who recorded a heartbeat of 27bpm.
HOW DO OTHER ATHLETES' HEART RATES COMPARE TO MR GREEN'S?Mo Farah - 33 beats per minute
Sir Bradley Wiggins - 35 beats per minute
Sir Chris Hoy - 30 to 35 beats per minute
Usain Bolt - 33 beats per minute
Sir Steve Redgrave - 30 beats per minute
Current record holder Mr Brady took the title from five-time Tour De France winner Miguel Indurian, whose resting pulse got as low as 28bpm.
Doctors only realised Mr Green's incredible heart rate after they hooked him up to an ECG machine for 24 hours.
The average adult male heart beats at 72bpm - ranging from around 60bpm to 100bpm depending on activity levels.
Mr Green puts his remarkable health down to daily exercise, and has not been to hospital since 1976, when he had a hernia operation.
He said: 'I couldn't believe it when the doctors told me. I suppose your heart rate isn't something anyone ever really notices.
'I was put forward for the 24-hour scan after my GP was alarmed by a 15-second ECG he gave me. But there's nothing to worry about - I'm still in fine fettle.
'I go for hour-long walks every morning and do some light exercise with weights and a cross-trainer at least three times a week.
'They tell me an elephant has a heart rate of just 28 beats per minute, so I suppose I'm as healthy as an elephant.'
Mr Green started on his keep-fit training when he was just 16 years old, because he was too skinny.
He said: 'I wanted to be tougher, so I started lifting weights. In those days, nobody really did any running, people said that's how you lost muscle, and I didn't want that.'
Mr Green puts his incredible fitness down to exercising daily and running marathons when he was younger
Mr Green only discovered his heart rate was so low when he was hooked up to an ECG machine for 24 hours
During his National Service, Mr Green became a physical training instructor for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, REME.
Mr Green, who lives in Epsom, Surrey, with wife Wendy, only took up running in his 30s, and went on to complete three full marathons, including the second ever London Marathon.
He said: 'I keep fit because I enjoy it. Under normal circumstances, a heart rate as low as mine would cause symptoms such as breathlessness, dizziness and fainting and it wouldn't be very good.
'A cardiologist told me I had absolute bradycardia - that's where your heart beats less than 40 times every minute.
HEART RATES: THE FACTSMost adults have a resting heart rate of between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
The fitter a person is, the lower their heart rate is likely to be.
For example, athletes often have a heart rate of 40 to 60 beats per minute or lower.
People are advised to seek medical attention if their heart rate is continuously above 120 beats per minute or below 40 beats per minute.
The current Guinness World Record for the lowest recorded heart rate is 27 beats per minute.
Usually, a low heart rate is a sign of fitness and of heart efficiency.
However, in some cases, a slow heart rate can be caused by a problem with the heart's in-built pacemaker and this can cause symptoms such as dizziness and fainting.
In severe cases, it can even be fatal.
Source: NHS Choices
'The cardiologist would want to put me on a pacemaker, but my doctor thinks I don't need one.
'My standard heart rate rests between 30 and 40bpm, which is about half the normal rate of 70bpm.
'But at certain points during my ECG scan, it dropped as low as 26bpm, which is pretty remarkable, especially because I didn't feel any different.'
Blue whales have the slowest heart rate in the animal kingdom, beating just six times a minute, while the Blue-throated Hummingbird's heart flutters a whopping 1,260 times per minute.
In order to be officially recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records, Mr Green would need to spend 24 hours hooked up to an ECG machine, monitored by two Guinness representatives.
They would then take the lowest three readings and use the average as the lowest heart rate number.
Mr Green said: 'I've contacted Guinness but at the moment I don't think I want to do it.
Maybe one day, but it seems like a bit of a faff.
'Also, I'd be so excited my heart might start racing, which wouldn't be too good for the record attempt.'
A slow heart rate like Mr Green's is a sign he is fit and healthy, according to a top heart doctor.
Dr Thomas Lee, from Harvard Medical School, said: 'Doctors say someone has a slow heart rate - bradycardia - when the pace is fewer than 60 beats per minute.
'The most common and best reason to have a slow heart rate is to be physically fit.
'If you exercise more, your heart can supply your body when it is at rest with fewer beats per minute. High-performance athletes often have heart rates in the 40s.
Mr Green says he has been in contact with Guinness World Records but that he is currently not planning to have an official test for the record book
A very low heart rate is usually a sign of fitness and heart efficiency but it can also be a sign of problems with the heart's electrical system. In this case, it can cause symptoms such as dizziness and fainting
'There is essentially no heart rate that is too slow - as long as your body is getting all the blood it needs.'
But he added that for some people a low heart rate can lead to medical complications if the blood cannot carry enough oxygen around the body.
He added: 'Fainting spells are a sign that the heart is going abnormally slow, and the brain is not getting enough oxygen.
'In the elderly, a heart attack or some other disease that causes scarring within the heart can damage the heart's electrical system.
'Sometimes, as the heart's electrical system is slowly damaged, the heart will have periods when it races, and other times when it goes very slowly.
'People with this problem often need pacemakers to keep the heart rate up during the slow periods.'
In Low-Risk PE, Elevated Heart Rate & Bilateral Emboli Up Hospitalization Risk
Elevated heart rate and bilateral emboli were associated with hospitalization in low-risk patients with pulmonary embolism in the ED.
When managing acute pulmonary embolism (PE), clinicians often use clinical decision rules to assess risk and determine the appropriate site of care. However, some low-risk patients with acute PE still experience adverse outcomes. Although recent studies have identified several key predictors of adverse outcomes, it remains unclear as to which factors physicians use to decide whether low-risk patients require hospitalization.
When considering outpatient management, guidelines recommend assessing patients for PE severity, comorbidities, and contraindications to home treatment. Two widely used, validated tools are the PE Severity Index, which assesses 30-day mortality risk, and the Hestia criteria, which assess suitability for outpatient management based on PE severity, comorbidities, and social factors. If any Hestia criteria are present, hospitalization is recommended.
While these tools help identify low-risk patients with PE, they have inherent failure rates. Heart rate, a key component for predicting PE-related mortality and clinical deterioration, may prompt hospital admissions when abnormal, even in patients classified as low risk.
Characteristics of Patients With Acute, Low-Risk PEFor a study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine, Scott D. Casey, MD, MS, and colleagues sought to better understand the characteristics of patients with acute, low-risk PE who were selected for outpatient management or hospitalization. "A more thorough understanding of predictors of hospitalization and patient-level contributors to this decision may guide quality improvement initiatives for outpatient PE management," say Dr. Casey and colleagues. Such data may also provide insights into decisions about the site of care and inform new research into the prognostic significance of key variables.
The retrospective cohort study included 461 adults in the ED with a PE Severity Index score of less than 86 points. The researchers assessed the highest observed ED heart rate, the most proximal embolus location, and embolism laterality. The primary outcome was hospitalization.
Many Patients Hospitalized Despite a Low-Risk ClassificationResults from the study showed that 57.5% of patients in the analysis were hospitalized and 30.8% had an elevated risk by other criteria, such as Hestia criteria or biochemical or radiographic right ventricular dysfunction. Most patients were hospitalized despite being classified as low risk by a validated risk stratification tool and members of a health system well-resourced to accomplish outpatient management, the authors reported. Many patients classified as low risk by the PE Severity Index had clinical, laboratory, or radiographic findings that might increase risks for adverse events.
The study also identified variables associated with an increased likelihood of hospital admission. A multivariate analysis showed that compared with patients who had heart rates lower than 90 beats/min, those with heart rates of 110 beats/min or higher or with heart rates of 90 to 109 beats/min had a greater risk for hospitalization (Table). The presence of bilateral (vs unilateral) PE was also independently associated with a higher risk for hospitalization. Conversely, proximal (vs distal) embolus location was not associated with the likelihood of hospitalization.
Recognize Factors That Can Guide Decision Making on Patient CareDr. Casey and colleagues noted that knowing perceived influential factors may help address hospitalization decisions when caring for patients with low-risk PE. Based on the study findings, it is possible that the highest observed ED heart rate and the presence of bilateral PE are being used to guide physicians in site-of-care decision making. However, some factors not included in traditional PE severity risk scores may also drive site-of-care decision making. As such, the study group reported it is important for physicians to recognize that they may attribute increased perceived risk to patients with higher heart rates and bilateral PE when making site-of-care decisions.
When Should You Go To The Hospital With AFib?
Recognizing when to seek medical assistance for atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm condition, is crucial for ensuring timely and effective care.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a condition where your heart's rhythm becomes irregular. Often, your heart beats too fast in AFib, but it's also possible for the heart rate to be normal or even slow and still have AFib.
AFib can increase your risk of stroke and other cardiovascular complications, which is why it's important to recognize the condition and seek treatment if necessary.
In AFib, a dangerous heart rate depends on several factors, including your overall health, any underlying medical conditions, your age, and whether you're experiencing symptoms.
In general, a heart rate that's excessively fast (referred to as rapid ventricular response [RVR]) in the context of AFib can be concerning and may lead to hemodynamic instability.
Hemodynamic instability means that your heart is beating so rapidly that it affects your blood flow and overall cardiovascular function, potentially causing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and even fainting.
Dangerous heart ratesMedical guidelines provide varying heart rate thresholds that might be considered dangerous or indicative of potential instability.
On the other hand, a dangerously low heart rate in AFib, referred to as "bradycardia," can occur when the heart beats too slowly, usually below 60 beats per minute.
Both extremely high and low heart rates in AFib can lead to symptoms, discomfort, and potentially serious complications, emphasizing the importance of medical attention and management.
Learn how to lower your heart rate with vagal maneuvers here.
Resting heart rates exceeding 100–120 beats per minute are often considered concerning and may warrant medical attention, especially if symptoms are present.
But the heart rate at which you should go to the hospital depends on several factors, including your overall health, any existing medical conditions, and whether you're experiencing symptoms related to the rapid heart rate.
As mentioned earlier, different medical recommendations offer varying heart rate thresholds at which medical evaluation should be considered due to potential hemodynamic instability. These thresholds are often around 120–150 beats per minute, depending on the recommendations.
It's important to note that symptoms are a critical factor. If you're experiencing any of the following symptoms along with your rapid heart rate, it's advisable to seek medical attention:
A normal resting heart rate typically falls between 60–100 beats per minute.
The heart rate at which a person with AFib is considered safe can differ based on whether they're resting, engaging in physical activity, or experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, or fatigue.
In general, if you have AFib and are experiencing a consistently high resting heart rate, a healthcare professional can work with you to determine a target heart rate that balances symptom relief with safety.
One study looked at how heart rate affected the outcomes of a large group of people who already had AFib at the beginning of the study. They followed these individuals for about 3.9 years to see if their initial heart rate was related to any negative health events that occurred during that time.
After analyzing data from 1,679 people with AFib, it was found that heart rate wasn't significantly associated with heart failure hospitalization, stroke or systemic embolism, or death, suggesting that strict heart rate control might not be necessary for stable outpatients with AFib.
This can be reassuring for both people with AFib and healthcare professionals, as it implies that focusing solely on aggressively controlling heart rate might not be required to prevent these reactions in individuals with stable AFib.
AFib is characterized by irregular and often rapid heartbeats originating in the atria (upper chambers of your heart).
A heart rate that's excessively fast and irregular (RVR) in AFib can be dangerous, potentially leading to hemodynamic instability and symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and fainting.
Guidelines and recommendations vary, but heart rates exceeding 120–150 beats per minute are generally considered concerning and might necessitate medical evaluation, especially if symptoms are present.
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