A rapid 'resting' heart beat can lead to early death? Here's 5 other symptoms to watch out for

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According to a new study, those who have a more rapid resting heartbeat than normal have a higher risk of death from any cause.

"Higher resting heart rate is an independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular death," said lead researcher Dr. Dongfeng Zhang from the department of epidemiology at the Medical College of Qingdao University in Shandong, China.

A person's resting heart rate, or what is more commonly referred to as pulse, is the number of times his or her heart beats for every minute. The American Heart Association says that when we are relaxed and at rest like when we are sitting or lying down, the normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats a minute. 

Zhang and his research team took into account 46 previous studies in analyzing data from more than 2 million patients, Philly.com wrote. The findings showed that compared to people with the lowest resting heart rate, those with a resting heart rate of more than 80 beats a minute had a 45 percent greater risk of death from any cause.

On the other hand, those people with almost a normal resting heart rate of 60 to 80 beats a minute only had a 21 percent greater risk, according to the researchers. Zhang said, however, that the risk or the chances of a person dying from a rapid resting heart rate are very minimal.

He also cleared that the study doesn't prove that heart rate actually caused premature deaths. It does, however, shows that there is an association between the two.

"People should pay more attention to their resting heart rate," he said. "These results also indicate the importance of regular physical activity that could lower resting heart rate."

According to HealthGrades.com, a rapid heartbeat may occur with or without noticeable symptoms, which can vary depending on the underlying cause. Normally, we can take our own pulse at the wrist, but there are some cases of rapid heartbeats like atrial fibrillation when it is hard to get an accurate pulse.

A rapid heartbeat or cardiac arrhythmia if associated with any of the following symptoms:

• Change in mental status or sudden behavior change, such as confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations or delusions
• Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure, or palpitations
• Dizziness, sweating, weakness and change in level of consciousness or alertness, such as passing out (fainting) or unresponsiveness
• Pallor (very pale or gray skin and lips) or cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the lips, nails or skin)
• Respiratory or breathing problems, such as shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, labored breathing, wheezing, not breathing, or choking