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bradycardia -- what's a too-low heart rate?
I wear a Fitbit Charge HR, which has a heart monitor that is pretty accurate (within a beat or two of what hospital instruments say) except for sudden spikes up or down. My heart rate is now in the high 40s at rest, has been as low as 38 while asleep, is usually in the 50s during the daytime but can get into normal range if I'm active. I can't get anyone at my primary care or cardiologist's office to give me an idea of what's so long that I should call them! I'm betting that below 40 is a concern, but all they've said is that heart rates lower when we're asleep. Duh! I know that. What I want to know is at what point should I seek their help if that happens.
Does anybody know?
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My ascending aortic aneurysm is 4.5 cm, and stable for over 7 years (CT scan annually to check). And my typical heart rate is around 50, while 39 at night (lowest was 35/min in a holter test). Also, thanks to medication, my blood pressure is from 120/60 up to 130/70. After working in the yard, sometimes my heart rate will reach 75/min, but the BP will still not broach 140, and stays all too often under 130. While running at 5.3 mph on the treadmill my HR gets up to 115/min. I try to walk 1.5 miles daily, with 3.5 minutes of 5.3 mph.
My heart rate was always low (I’m 71). It used to be typically 48 at night, but some for months it would often be just 38 at night. In fact, I recall in my 20s and 30s it seemed to barely reach a heart rate of 85/min after jogging.
I confirm how doctors and cardiologists do indeed say these low heart rates are not a problem, if YOU don’t have a problem, like, you’re not losing consciousness or being prevented from performing everyday activities. It’s normal, of course, for the heart medication to lead to light headedness if you suddenly stand up, or run up stairs.
I’ve had a stress test and other tests, but told I’m NOT a candidate for a pacemaker. But I can see that once you go below 35, certainly closer to 30 bpm, that’s when you’d likely need one. The world record for a slow heart is 28/minute! (Also not a problem, since the subject was an athlete.)
My doctor said below 40