“My stress test showed a very high heart rate. Should I be worried?”
I had to take a stress test for my employment formalities, and the test showed that my heart rate was very high. Should I be concerned?
3 Answers
It depends on how high. You should (normally) be able to reach your "age-predicted maximum," which is 220 minus your age. Even if it's slightly above that, provided you feel OK, it's probably nothing serious and the person conducting the test would have told you if the tracing showed anything to worry about.
There are many causes for a higher than average heart rate with exercise. It may just mean that you are deconditioned or not exercising enough. However there may also be medical or life style issues that are contributing. Some of these include thyroid problems, anemia, pulmonary problems and occasionally cardiac issues. One should start with a good history and physical exam by your general physician who will likely order basic lab work as well.
Most likely you are out of shape. Try exercising regularly on a treadmill.
