Daniel Green holds the world record for the slowest heartbeat in a healthy human, with a heart rate measured in 2014 of 26 BPM. Martin Brady holds the Guinness world record for the slowest heart rate with a certified rate over a minute duration of 27 BPM.
The main symptom of bradycardia is a heart rate below 60 beats per minute. This abnormally low heart rate can cause the brain and other organs to become oxygen-deprived, which can lead to symptoms such as: Fainting. Dizziness.
Key facts. Bradycardia is a slower than normal heart rate (below 60 beats per minute (bpm)). If you're sleeping or if you're a young, healthy adult or very fit, it can be normal to have a heart rate of 40 – 60 bpm.
The hearts of adults at rest usually beat between 60 and 100 times a minute. 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.
During sleep, it is normal for a person's heart rate to slow down below the range for a typical resting heart rate. Between 40 to 50 beats per minute (bpm) is considered an average sleeping heart rate for adults, though this can vary depending on multiple factors.
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.
A specific type of bradycardia called junctional bradycardia, in which the heart rate is below 40 beats per minute, may be associated with ischemic stroke, a type of stroke in which a blood vessel to the brain is obstructed or blocked.
Summary: Bradycardia -- a slower than normal heartbeat -- does not increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study. The heart usually beats between 60 and 100 times a minute in an adult at rest.
Bradycardia treatment may include lifestyle changes, medication changes or an implanted device called a pacemaker. If an underlying health problem, such as thyroid disease or sleep apnea, is causing the slow heart rate, treatment of that condition might correct bradycardia.
Causes of bradycardia
Problems in the conduction pathways of the heart that don't allow electrical impulses to pass properly from the atria to the ventricles. Metabolic problems such as hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) Damage to the heart from aging, heart disease or heart attack.
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.
What many may not realize is that anxiety can cause the heartbeat to slow down as well. It's not that common, but it is possible, and in some cases the issue may not be a slow heartbeat at all but your own mind telling you that your heart rate is abnormal even when this isn't necessarily the case.
Healthy young adults and athletes often have heart rates of less than 60 beats a minute. In other people, bradycardia is a sign of a problem with the heart's electrical system. It means that the heart's natural pacemaker isn't working right or that the electrical pathways of the heart are disrupted.
Warning signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others. Heart failure means the heart has failed to pump the way it should in order to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. Generally, a lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. For example, a well-trained athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40 beats per minute.
A low resting heart rate in the 30s, for example, means the required oxygen isn't getting to the brain. This can make shortness of breath, fainting, and lightheadedness a possibility. For those with symptoms, visit your physician to explore the situation more in-depth.
The normal range is between 50 and 100 beats per minute. If your resting heart rate is above 100, it's called tachycardia; below 60, and it's called bradycardia. Increasingly, experts pin an ideal resting heart rate at between 50 to 70 beats per minute.
If you do not have other heart problems, you likely do not have limits on the type or level of activity that you can do. You may want to walk, swim, bike, or do other activities. Ask your doctor what level of exercise is safe for you.
Unchecked and untreated, severe or prolonged bradycardia can cause a number of complications including heart failure, low blood pressure, or hypotension, and high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. For some, bradycardia can alternate with a fast heart rhythm, or what's called tachycardia.
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.
It's common for everyone's heart beat rate to slow down at rest, but some people have a chronically slow heart rate that causes symptoms such as fatigue and lightheadedness. This condition is called bradycardia, and it's more common as you age.
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.
Clinically significant bradycardia can be induced by beta-blockers and non-dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium-channel antagonists such as verapamil and diltiazem. Although drug-related bradycardia is frequently observed in clinical practice, it is a poorly defined clinical problem.