WHAT IS BRADYCARDIA
What is Bradycardia?
Bradycardia refers to a slow heartbeat: a resting heart rate lower than 60 beats per minute.
Although a resting heart rate slower than 60 beats per minute is normal for some people, bradycardia can also cause symptoms which indicate that the brain and other organs might not get enough oxygen.
Risk factors
- Congenital heart disease (condition you were born with)
- Certain diseases
- Medication
- The natural aging process of the heart
- Scar tissue from a previous heart attack (myocardial infarction)
- Sick sinus syndrome, also called sinus node dysfunction
- Heart block
Symptoms of bradycardia
When your heart beats too slowly you may experience various symptoms. Based on your symptoms, your doctor can assess the severity of your heart condition and determine the appropriate treatment for you.
Some people don’t have any symptoms, or the symptoms are so mild that they think they are just part of getting older.
When discussing with your doctor, you may want to use this document to help guide the conversation
When discussing with your doctor, you may want to use this document to help guide the conversation