Preventive healthcare starts with monitoring your health at home, and not just getting your first tests done on the advice of a doctor. Thus, Dr Sudhir Kumar, neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, believes that while a doctor’s evaluation and multiple checkups are important to evaluate our health status, some diagnostic assessment tools can be done at home as well. “This can provide important clues about your health status,” he said in a post on Instagram.
Resting heart rate: Heart rate can be measured by smartwatches. With a little training, one can also count the pulse rate on the wrist. Normal resting heart rate (RHR) ranges between 60-100 beats per minute. The lower the RHR, the better. Measure your RHR regularly, aiming for a low rate within the normal range (60-100 bpm). Dr Manjusha Agarwal, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Global Hospitals Parel Mumbai, said that a consistently high RHR could be a sign of underlying health issues.
“According to research, the risk of mortality increased by 16 per cent with every 10 bpm increase in RHR in healthy men. Specifically, it was observed that men whose RHR was between 71 and 80 bpm were 51 per cent more likely to die than men with an RHR of 50 bpm or less. It was also observed that men with an RHR between 81 and 90 bpm were twice as likely to die as men with an RHR of less than 50 bpm,” said Dr Kumar. Blood pressure (BP): BP can be easily measured by digital BP machines. The ideal BP is between 90/60 and 120/80 mmHg. “Those with BP >140/90 mmHg are considered to have hypertension, and those with BP <90/60 mmHg are considered to have low blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke,” said Dr Kumar. Dr Agarwal agreed, adding that high or low blood pressure can be a sign of cardiovascular risks.
Heart rate during exercise: Heart rate (HR) during exercise can be measured with a watch or chest strap. “The target heart rate during moderate intensity activities should be around 50-70 per cent of maximum heart rate, while during vigorous physical activity it should be around 70-85 per cent of maximum. Maximum HR is 220 minus your age. High HR during exercise indicates poor cardiorespiratory fitness,” said Dr Kumar.
Heart rate recovery: Heart rate recovery (HRR) refers to the decrease in HR after you stop exercising. In the first one minute, the heart rate should be less than 18-20 bpm in a fit and healthy person. “If the HRR is less than 12 bpm one minute after you stop running (or exercising), it is considered abnormal,” said Dr Kumar.