Slow heart rate (Bradycardia) | Cardiologist London

What is a slow heart rate (bradycardia)?

A slow heart rate (also known as bradycardia) is when your heart beats fewer than 60 times per minute (bpm), which is unusually slow compared to the ‘normal’ 60-100 beats per minute.

Your heart rate can naturally slow down below 60 beats per minute in some situations, for example when you’re in a deep sleep.

However, if you regularly have a slow heartbeat, this may be a sign of a serious concern.

Some people don’t experience symptoms when experiencing a slow heart rate. However, some may experience noticeable symptoms that cause issues.

Having a slow heart alongside other symptoms such as confusion, fainting, and chest pain can be a sign of a more serious condition such as a heart attack. If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, please contact 999 for immediate medical treatment.

Causes

Bradycardia is caused by many various conditions such as rheumatic fever or lyme disease. Common concerns related to the heart that can cause a slow heart rate include:

Coronary artery disease
Long Q-T syndrome
Sick sinus syndrome
Heart surgery
Heart block
Heart failure
Heart attack

If you are concerned about your symptoms and suspect you may have a heart issue, we advise seeking medical advice to investigate your condition further. With Dr Ravi Assomull, we can offer a wide range of diagnostic tests to help you discover what may be troubling your heart.

Diagnosis

During your initial appointment, we will assess your symptoms and evaluate your medical and family history.

If we suspect you may have a heart issue, we will investigate further to determine what may be troubling you. Some initial tests we may perform include blood tests and an ECG to check your heart’s health and detect any signs of abnormalities. If we detect anything unusual with the heart, we may conduct further tests.

Treatment

Treatment will depend on what we discover and your individual needs. We may suggest options such as medications or various intervention procedures to help tackle your condition.

However, our first suggestion will be to implement key lifestyle changes to make sure you are as healthy as possible and reduce your risk naturally.

Key symptoms of Slow heart rate

fatigue-feeling-weak

Fatigue or feeling weak

Fatigue is the feeling that you lack the energy or motivation to do anything physically and mentally. Sometimes, you may feel like you can’t keep your eyes open or find it difficult to do tasks because of tiredness.

Fatigue

Getting tired easily during exercise

This is when you abnormally are out of breath and exhausted from exercise when you wouldn’t normally be.

shortness-of-breath

Shortness of breath

Shortness of breath is when you find breathing challenging, wheezing, or breathlessness. Other heart conditions such as angina, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure can all cause shortness of breath.

Recommended tests for Slow heart rate

ECG image

Tilt table test

This test involves changing your position while strapped to a turning table to see how your heart rate, rhythm, and blood pressure respond.

dizziness

Stress tests

This test involves monitoring your heart rate whilst you are exercising – either on a treadmill or an exercise bike. This can help us detect any abnormalities while you are overexerting your heart.

dizziness

Holter monitor

This test helps us take readings of your heart’s electrical activity during your daily activities and over a longer period of time. This allows us to detect any abnormalities outside of the clinic.

Book your consultation  with Dr Ravi Assomull today

Looking after your heart is the most important thing you can do to improve your longevity and quality of life in the long term.

We’re here for you during your journey to better heart health. We provide tests and management strategies to help identify what might be wrong and where you can improve your lifestyle to reach prime heart health.

Book an appointment today to speak to our expert Integrative Cardiologist, Dr Ravi Assomull, about your heart concerns.

You can email us at: enquiries@cardiologist.london

Or call us at: 020 3576 2885

Frequently asked questions

Answers from the team at Cardiologist London. For personalised advice, book a consultation or call 020 3576 2885.

What is a slow heart rate?

A resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute is called bradycardia. In fit, healthy people - especially athletes and during sleep - a slow rate is often completely normal. It becomes significant when it causes symptoms or results from a problem in the heart's electrical system.

What symptoms can a slow heart rate cause?

Fatigue, dizziness or light-headedness, reduced exercise capacity, breathlessness and fainting episodes. If a slow pulse is accompanied by blackouts or collapse, seek urgent medical attention.

Will I need a pacemaker?

Only a minority of people with bradycardia need one. If tests show the slow rate is caused by a significant conduction problem - such as certain types of heart block - and it is causing symptoms, a pacemaker is a very effective, well-established treatment. The first step is accurate diagnosis with an ECG and ambulatory monitoring.

Slow heart rate