maximum heart rate

[randy-andy]

what is the technical name for maximum heart rate, if there is one

[spat]

i have never heard of a maximum heart rate term
but the term for an elevated rate is tachycardia

[theprof]

The term Tachycardia is usually reserved for a heartbeat of over 100 beats per minute.

[theprof]

Maximum achievable heart rate has never been defined in cardiac physiology as far as I am aware.

People are known to have died from moderate tachycardia in the past whereas others have survived extremely high tachycardia. It does seem to depend on the physiology of the individual and the chances of survival in severe tachycardia are impossible to predict.

Some types of tachycardia are less life threatening than others.

[bazmoore]

i was recently suffering from a condition known as, avnrt (av node re-entry tachicardia a form of, svt (super ventricular tachycardia) i was treated in hospital a couple of times with drugs before i had a procedure carried out called ablation therapy (tony blair had it done couple years ago).

my heart rate would go to 160 beats per min (sometimes while asleep) and wouldnt revert back to normal without drug therapy.

[stevie21]

I thought the only term for "maximum heart rate" was maximum heart rate. ??

[theprof]

Can't fault your logic there stevie21

[lord molly]

its normally shortened to MHR, for men its 220 minus your age, which is only a rough guess remember

[theprof]

It looks like someone has come across details of the paper published by Londeree and Moeschberger in 1982.

I had more than an interest in their theories back then because at the time, I was a university rowing coach � I�ve got a copy of the paper at home. The paper created quite a stir in the sporting world and for many years the algorithms used in the calculations were regarded as the �gold standard� despite the fact that many physiologists found flaws in their theories. The fact that there were alternative algorithms in use did not help their cause.

Since 1982 other workers have proposed more accurate methods of calculating MHR. However, it is the case that no sooner are these new theories published, that other workers publish theories disproving previous ones. Whilst this is perfectly normal behaviour amongst scientists, it does not help us to reach an infallible method of calculating MHR, and because of this, the work of Londeree and Moeschberger is no longer held in such high esteem. Whilst I acknowledge the algorithms are still in use, they are not recognised by all authorities and are certainly not a universal basis for calculations.

(continued)

[theprof]

Leaving all this to one side, what puts this into perspective for me is the tachycardia encountered by physicians in a patient suffering from heavy-metal intoxication.

A few years ago, a paper was published in a leading medical journal which cited the case of forty-two year old Caucasian who had been intentionally poisoned by an Antimony compound. Antimony is a heavy metal, and almost without exception, ingestion results in tachycardia. The effects of the poisoning were treated symptomatically and fortunately the patient survived. However, during the treatment in intensive care, his heart rate reached a peak of 293 beats per minute, far in excess of the MHR suggested by Londeree and Moeschberger(178) and way outside a rough guess. Similar cases are known from ingestion of other heavy metals such as Cadmium and Lead.

Whilst this type of tachycardia is unusual, it does provide a degree of evidence that the heart does not have a predictable MHR above which death is inevitable.