
Common Causes
Prognosis. Bradycardia may be an acute or chronic problem depending upon the etiology. It may resolve and never recur if the inciting event is treated or removed (e.g., hypothyroidism, electrolyte derangements, or medications). However, for patients with an underlying conduction system disease, bradycardia will require frequent follow-up, with long-term and sometimes lifelong therapy for those with a pacemaker.
Related Conditions
The medical definition of bradycardia is a heart rate that is slower than 60 beats per minute Note: According to the American Heart Association, for a healthy person, your heart rate should fall between a range of 60-100 beats per minute when you are resting.
What is the prognosis of bradycardia?
However, in the case of well-trained athletes a 46 pulse may be normal as heart rates as low as 40 bpm are considered regular for those in top physical condition. 1 46 beats per minute resting is 32.4% slower than the typical adult average of 73 bpm for both sexes. Your resting pulse will vary with age.
What resting heart rate is too low?
Taken together it’s referred to as bradycardia-tachycardia, or tachy-brady, syndrome. This is a type of sick sinus syndrome, and can be associated with the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation...
Is a pulse rate of 46 too low?
Is bradycardia considered heart disease?

What does bradycardia unspecified mean?
If you have bradycardia, your heart rate will be less than 60 beats per minute (BPM). If your heart doesn't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body with each contraction, bradycardia can be a serious problem.
Is bradycardia serious?
If you have bradycardia, your heart beats fewer than 60 times a minute. Bradycardia can be a serious problem if the heart rate is very slow and the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body. If this happens, you may feel dizzy, very tired or weak, and short of breath.
When should I worry about bradycardia?
Adults and children who have a low pulse and experience symptoms such as chest pain, fainting, or exercise intolerance should also go to the hospital. A person should contact a doctor about bradycardia when they: experience an unexplained change in heart rate that lasts for several days.
Does bradycardia need to be treated?
Treatment for bradycardia depends on the severity of symptoms and the cause of the slow heart rate. If you don't have symptoms, treatment might not be necessary. Bradycardia treatment may include lifestyle changes, medication changes or an implanted device called a pacemaker.
What are the signs of bradycardia?
Symptoms of bradycardiaFatigue or feeling weak.Dizziness or lightheadedness.Confusion.Fainting (or near-fainting) spells.Shortness of breath.Difficulty when exercising.Cardiac arrest (in extreme cases)
Can bradycardia cause stroke?
Conclusions. Junctional bradycardia is potentially associated with ischemic stroke, particularly in the absence of an identifiable retrograde P wave.
What is a dangerously low heart rate?
Bradycardia is a condition where your heart beats fewer than 60 times per minute, which is unusually slow. This condition may be dangerous if it keeps your heart from pumping enough blood to meet your body's needs.
Does anxiety cause bradycardia?
The answer is definitely NO which means anxiety in pure form does not cause bradycardia since anxiety is associated with increased adrenergic activity.
At what low heart rate should you go to the hospital?
If your heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute or below 60 beats per minute (and you're not an athlete) and if you are experiencing any symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, breathlessness then you may need to visit a hospital.
Can you live a normal life with bradycardia?
Bradycardia can be harmless, but in some cases it can be life-threatening. For certain people — mostly young adults and trained athletes—a slow heart rate is normal and doesn't cause any symptoms or health problems.
What are the two types of bradycardia?
There are two main types of bradyarrhythmia: sinus node dysfunction and atrioventricular (AV) blocks....AV blocksFirst degree heart block. ... Second degree heart block. ... Third degree heart block.
What is the best medication for bradycardia?
Atropine. In the absence of reversible causes, atropine remains the first-line drug for acute symptomatic bradycardia (Class IIa). In 1 randomized clinical trial in adults (LOE 2)5 and additional lower-level studies (LOE 4),6,7 IV atropine improved heart rate and signs and symptoms associated with bradycardia.
At what low heart rate should you go to the hospital?
If your heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute or below 60 beats per minute (and you're not an athlete) and if you are experiencing any symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, breathlessness then you may need to visit a hospital.
Can bradycardia lead to death?
Some people who have slow heartbeats are completely healthy. But for others, a slow heartbeat may mean that not enough blood is being pumped to supply the needs of the heart itself. Bradycardia can cause fatigue and other symptoms. If it is serious enough, bradycardia can cause cardiac arrest and death.
How common is bradycardia?
How common is this condition? Sinus bradycardia with symptoms happens in about 1 out of every 600 adults over age 65. However, most people with this condition don't have symptoms, especially because it's common in very active people.
At what heart rate should you go to the hospital?
If you're sitting down and feeling calm, your heart shouldn't beat more than about 100 times per minute. A heartbeat that's faster than this, also called tachycardia, is a reason to come to the emergency department and get checked out. We often see patients whose hearts are beating 160 beats per minute or more.
How to tell if you have bradycardia?
You may not have any symptoms of bradycardia. But if you do have a slow heart rate and any of these symptoms, call your doctor: 1 Syncope/passing out 2 Dizziness 3 Weakness 4 Confusion 5 Heart palpitations/fluttering 6 Feeling short of breath 7 Chest pain 8 Lack of energy
What is the normal heart rate for a person?
A normal resting heart rate for most people is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). A resting heart rate slower than 60 bpm is considered bradycardia. Athletic and elderly people often have a heart rate slower than 60 bpm when they are sitting or lying down, and a heart rate less than 60 bpm is common for many people during sleep.
What does it mean when your heart beats slow?
Bradycardia means your heart rate is slow. This can be completely normal and desirable, but sometimes it can be an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia). If you have bradycardia and you have certain symptoms along with the slow heart rate, then it means your heartbeat is too slow.
What is the heart's electrical system?
To understand bradycardia, it helps to understand the heart’s electrical system, which is what makes the heart beat. Your heart has a natural pacemaker called the sinus node (SA node), which is made of a small bunch of special cells.
Can you have bradycardia but not have any symptoms?
If you have bradycardia but do not have any symptoms, or if the bradycardia doesn’t happen often or last long, you may not need treatment . Sometimes bradycardia is a good thing and is the goal of treatment.
Do you need to treat bradycardia?
If you have bradycardia but do not have any symptoms, or if the bradycardia doesn’t happen often or last long, you may not need treatment. Sometimes bradycardia is a good thing and is the goal of treatment. If you need treatment, it will be based on the cause of the condition.
Can bradycardia cause slow heart rate?
You may not have any symptoms of bradycardia. But if you do have a slow heart rate and any of these symptoms, call your doctor:
What is the resting heart beat of a person with bradycardia?
In this Article. If your doctor says you or a loved one has bradycardia, a resting heart beat that's less than 60 beats per minute , it's only part of the diagnosis. Your doctor will also want to figure out which type it is. They may talk to you about these kinds: sinus bradycardia, sick sinus syndrome, and heart block.
What is the term for a defect in the heart?
Heart attack. Pericarditis, or inflammation of the thin tissues around the outside of the heart. A defect at birth. Sleep apnea, or when you briefly stop breathing while you sleep. A problem with your thyroid, the gland in your neck that helps control many of your body’s functions.
What is the name of the heart's natural pacemaker?
Sinus Bradycardia. The term “sinus” may make you think of your nasal passages. But when it comes to the heart, it refers to what’s called the sinus node. That’s a group of cells that sends out electrical signals that tell you when to pump out more blood. It’s sometimes called “the heart’s natural pacemaker.”.
What causes heart block?
But most of the time, it comes from something you got later in life. The main cause is a heart attack. Other conditions can also damage the steady electrical flow between the sinus and AV nodes.
What is the class of medicine called that lowers blood pressure?
Certain medications, including a class of medicines called beta blockers. You may take them to lower blood pressure or for other heart conditions.
Why is heart failure common in children?
Heart failure, because the heart is not pumping enough blood for your body. Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle. Coronary artery disease, or narrowing of the arteries in the heart. Rheumatic fever, which is most common in children who didn’t get treated well for strep throat or scarlet fever.
What is Bradycardia?
Bradycardia is an abnormally slow heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute. A normal heartbeat is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
What does a doctor check for in bradycardia?
To further evaluate your bradycardia, your doctor will order an electrocardiogram (EKG).
How long does bradycardia last?
For example, normal bradycardia in a well-trained athlete will last as long as the athlete maintains his or her usual level of exercise. When bradycardia occurs as a side effect of medication, it usually will go away as soon as the drug that triggered the bradycardia is used by the body or excreted in the urine. Bradycardia caused by hypothyroidism will go away quickly after treatment with thyroid hormones. Certain forms of bradycardia resulting from cardiac arrhythmias can be cured with a permanent pacemaker.
What medications cause bradycardia?
Also, bradycardia sometimes is a side effect of certain medications, including propranolol ( Inderal ), atenolol ( Tenormin ), metoprolol (Toprol-XL), sotalol (Betapace), verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan) and diltiazem ( Cardizem, Dilacor-XR). Bradycardia also occurs in some people who have certain medical illnesses not related to the heart, ...
What tests are needed for bradycardia?
Depending on the results of your physical examination, other tests may be necessary to check for medical illnesses that produce bradycardia. For example, if you have symptoms and physical signs of hypothyroidism, your doctor may order blood tests to measure levels of thyroid hormones and TSH, a pituitary gland hormone that stimulates the thyroid. Your doctor also may order blood tests for cholesterol and certain liver enzymes, which often are elevated in people with hypothyroidism.
Can Bradycardia cause weakness?
Bradycardia can cause dizziness, weakness, lack of energy or fainting spells.
Does bradycardia require treatment?
In fact, in most people , bradycardia does not require treatment unless patients have symptoms that are clearly due to a slow heartbeat. The following are conditions that produce bradycardia that requires treatment: Cardiac arrhythmias resulting from sinus node dysfunction.
What are the symptoms of bradycardia?
Symptoms of bradycardia include: Fatigue or feeling weak. Dizziness or lightheadedness. Confusion. Fainting (or near-fainting) spells. Shortness of breath. Difficulty when exercising.
What causes bradycardia in the heart?
Causes for bradycardia include: Problems with the sinoatrial (SA) node, sometimes called the heart’s natural pacemaker. Problems in the conduction pathways of the heart that don’t allow electrical impulses to pass properly from the atria to the ventricles.
What is the best heart rate for bradycardia?
In general, for adults, a resting heart rate of fewer than 60 beats per minute (BPM) qualifies as bradycardia. But there are exceptions. Your heart rate may fall below 60 BPM during deep sleep. And physically active adults (and athletes) often have a resting heart rate slower than 60 BPM. View an animation of bradycardia.
What is considered slow heart rate?
What’s considered too slow can depend on your age and physical condition. Elderly people, for example, are more prone to bradycardia. In general, for adults, a resting heart rate of fewer than 60 beats per minute (BPM) qualifies as bradycardia.
Can bradycardia be treated?
Borderline or occasional bradycardia may not require treatment. Severe or prolonged bradycardia can be treated in a few ways. For instance, if medication side effects are causing the slow heart rate, then the medication regimen can be adjusted or discontinued.
What are the symptoms of bradycardia?
Bradycardia may not cause any symptoms. However, bradycardia may cause you to feel:
What does it mean when your heart beats so slowly?
In severe forms of bradycardia, the heart beats so slowly that it doesn't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. This can cause symptoms and can be life-threatening.
Can bradycardia cause sudden collapse?
Complications. For most people, bradycardia will not cause any complications. Any complications will depend on the underlying cause of the slow heart rate. If severe bradycardia isn't treated, it can lead to serious problems. These may include sudden collapse, fits (seizures) or even death.
Can bradycardia be treated?
The treatment depend s on the underlying cause and the symptoms. If the bradycardia isn't causing any symptoms there is no need for any treatment unless treatment is needed for the underlying cause of the bradycardia.
Is Bradycardia normal in young people?
There are many possible causes. Bradycardia may be normal, especially in young very fit people. Otherwise the possible causes include:
Is Bradycardia a heart disease?
Bradycardia can be caused by heart disease, so healthy lifestyle advice is very important. This includes healthy eating, not smoking, reducing body weight (if overweight) and taking regular exercise. See the separate leaflet called Cardiovascular Disease (Atheroma) for more details.
How to diagnose bradycardia?
A diagnosis of bradycardia in adults is based on a heart rate less than 60 BPM, although some studies use a heart rate of less than 50 BPM. This is determined usually either by palpation or EKG. If symptoms occur, a determination of electrolytes may be helpful in determining the underlying cause.
Where does the word "bradycardia" come from?
The word "bradycardia" is from the Greek βραδύς bradys "slow", and καρδία kardia "heart".
What is the cause of bradycardia?
Heart rate increases during inhalation and decreases during exhalation. This is thought to be caused by changes in the vagal tone during respiration. If the decrease during exhalation drops the heart rate below 60 BPM on each breath, this type of bradycardia is usually deemed benign and a sign of good autonomic tone.
What is the normal heart rate for a newborn?
Infantile. For infants, bradycardia is defined as a heart rate less than 100 BPM (normal is around 120–160 BPM). Premature babies are more likely than full-term babies to have apnea and bradycardia spells; their cause is not clearly understood.
How many athletes have sinus bradycardia?
It is a common condition found in both healthy individuals and those considered well-conditioned athletes. Studies have found that 50–85% of conditioned athletes have benign sinus bradycardia, as compared to 23% of the general population studied.
What percentage of adults have bradycardia?
You can help by adding to it. (December 2018) The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2011 that 15.2% of adult males and 6.9% of adult females had clinically-defined bradycardia (a resting pulse rate below 60 BPM).
What is the best treatment for bradycardia?
If this is not effective, intravenous inotrope infusion ( dop amine, epinephrine) or transcutaneous pacing should be used. Transvenous pacing may be required if the cause of the bradycardia is not rapidly reversible. In children, giving oxygen, supporting their breathing, and chest compressions are recommended.
What causes bradycardia?
Another cause of bradycardia is atrioventricular block ( AV Block ), in which the top and bottom chambers don’t communicate well and your heart rate drops as a result.
What age is the most likely to develop bradycardia?
In fact, age is the most common risk factor for developing bradycardia. The condition is most common among men and women over age 65. Illness or other conditions also may prompt it. These other causes include: Heart attacks due to coronary artery disease. Bacterial infection in the blood that attacks the heart.
What is a low heart rate?
Doctors consider a low heart rate to be 60 beats per minute (bpm) and below. In fact, if you have bradycardia, you’ll have a low resting heart rate below 60, even when you’re awake and active. In contrast, a normal range is 60 to 100 bpm while awake.
Why does bradycardia happen?
The most common cause for bradycardia is a malfunction in the heart’s natural pacemaker, the sinus node. It controls how quickly the top and bottom heart chambers pump blood through the body. Another cause is atrioventricular block ( AV Block ), in which the top and bottom chambers don’t communicate well and the heart rate drops as a result.
What are the symptoms of slow heart rate?
Consult your doctor if you are experiencing some of these symptoms and you have an associated slow heart rate: Lack of energy. Low stamina.

What Is Bradycardia?
Heart rate slower than 60 beats per minute.
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Expected Duration
- A slower than typical heartbeat (bradycardia) can prevent the brain and other organs from getting enough oxygen, possibly causing these signs and symptoms: 1. Chest pain 2. Confusion or memory problems 3. Dizziness or lightheadedness 4. Easily tiring during physical activity 5. Fati…
Prevention
Treatment
When to Call A Professional
Prognosis
Further Information