Understanding if women have a slightly faster heart rate than men, and why

Know Your Body: The average heart rate for adult women is 78 to 82 beats per minute, though the “normal” range is between 60 to 100 beats per minute

Find out if women have a higher heart rate (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Today, as part of our Know Your Body series, we bring to you a less-explored aspect of our hearts. No, we’re not talking about love and emotions — that’s for another day — but whether women tend to have a slightly faster heart rate compared to men. We chanced upon this fact in research by ClevelandClinic.org which indicated that women indeed tend to have higher average heart rates than men do. It noted that pregnancy and menopause both lead to changes in heart function.

The average heart rate for adult women is 78 to 82 beats per minute, though the “normal” range is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. Multiple factors such as hormones, exercise, and lifestyle choices can affect your heart rate, it stated.

But is this true?

Negating the claim, Dr Subhendu Mohanty, interventional cardiologist, Sharda Hospital, Noida said that heart rate is not related to gender. “It depends on how much physical activity a person is used to,” he told indianexpress.com.

Is heart rate related to gender? (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

But Dr Ranjan Shetty, HOD and consultant, interventional cardiology, Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, Bangalore said that indeed, women typically have a slightly higher heart rate compared to men.

“There may be variations of up to 10 beats, but it is important to note that these differences still fall within the normal range. However, the impact of the heartbeat may not be a significant factor in women’s overall health. This is because most women are protected from cardiac diseases, particularly during their childbearing years when their heartbeat tends to be naturally higher. Therefore, both men and women can naturally lower their heart rate through exercise with variations such as walking for two minutes and then jogging or running for one minute,” Dr Shetty told indianexpress.com.

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According to Dr Shetty, engaging in a combination of exercises, yoga, and meditation for about 20 to 25 minutes can effectively reduce the heart rate.

“It is important to note that while the heartbeat functions as a collective indicator, it is akin to a unique signature for each individual and may not necessarily reflect their heart health accurately. Thus, solely relying on the heartbeat as a marker for cardiac health may or may not be the appropriate approach,” said Dr Shetty.

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