Heart rate 47 on an adult - what does it mean?

Where 47 bpm sits on the adult scale

What a resting pulse of 47 means

Endurance training makes the heart muscle stronger, so it moves more blood per beat and needs fewer beats at rest. Runners, cyclists and swimmers commonly rest between 40 and 60 bpm. During sleep, almost everyone's heart rate drops 10–20 bpm below the daytime resting value.

If you are not particularly fit, possible causes include medications (beta blockers and other heart-rate-lowering drugs), an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), sleep apnea and conduction problems of the heart. These are easy to check with an ECG and a blood test, or a sleep study for sleep apnea.

Ranges apply to adults and children aged 10 and older, measured at rest (American Heart Association). By the numbers: at 47 bpm the heart beats about every 1.28 seconds — roughly 67,680 beats a day.

Why one reading of 47 often leads to a longer recording

A pulse of 47 measured once tells a doctor little about what the heart does across a whole day. The rate may be steady at 47, may drop further at night, or may dip only now and then because of a pause or a blocked beat. A standard ECG in the clinic records about ten seconds. If the slow rhythm is not present in those ten seconds, the trace can look completely normal.

That is why a doctor who hears “my watch keeps showing 47” often orders an ambulatory monitor. These devices record the heart’s electrical activity while you go about normal life, so short or irregular events have a chance to show up.

Holter, patch, event recorder: what each one does

• Holter monitor: a small recorder with a few sticky electrodes on the chest, usually worn for 24 to 48 hours. It captures every beat, giving the lowest, highest and average rate plus any pauses.
• Patch monitor: a single adhesive strip on the chest that records continuously for longer, often a week or two. It is easier to wear in the shower and during sleep.
• Event monitor: worn for weeks. It saves a strip when you press a button during symptoms, and many models also record automatically when the rate falls outside set limits.
• Implantable loop recorder: a device about the size of a USB stick placed under the skin of the chest during a short procedure. It can watch the rhythm for years and is used when rare fainting spells remain unexplained.

Getting the most out of the test

The recording is only as useful as the notes that go with it. Keep a simple diary: when you slept, exercised, took medicines, and when you felt dizzy, weak or noticed a skipped beat. The doctor lines these times up with the trace to see whether symptoms match a slow rate.

Live as normally as possible while wearing the monitor. Taking it easy to avoid symptoms can hide the very thing the test is looking for. Avoid swimming, baths and electric blankets unless you were told the device can handle them.

A finding of 47 during deep sleep with normal daytime rates is common and usually harmless. Long pauses, sudden drops or a rate that stays in the 40s while awake and active point toward a conduction problem that needs follow-up. For how wrist devices compare with medical recorders, see the guide to heart rate monitors.

For a reliable resting value, sit quietly for five minutes first and average a few mornings: Resting Heart Rate: What It Says About Your Health. You can also measure by tapping along on the start page.

Nearby values

• 42 bpm
• 43 bpm
• 44 bpm
• 45 bpm
• 46 bpm
• 48 bpm
• 49 bpm
• 50 bpm
• 51 bpm
• 52 bpm

Measured on a child instead? See heart rate 47 in a child.

Sources: American Heart Association: All About Heart Rate · MedlinePlus: Pulse · ACSM position stand on exercise intensity (2011)

This page explains a single reading in general terms. It is not a diagnosis. Heart rate alone cannot tell whether the rhythm is regular or whether the heart is healthy — if you are worried, talk to a doctor.