But like with many things that slow down as we age so can our hearts. If your heart beats less than 60 times a minute, it's considered slower (or lower) than normal and is called bradycardia.
A normal adult resting heart rate is between 60 – 100 beats per minute (bpm). If you have bradycardia, your heart beats fewer than 60 times a minute. Bradycardia (heart rate 40 – 60 bpm) can be normal when you're sleeping.
The normal resting heart rate for adults over the age of 10 years, including older adults, is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). Highly trained athletes may have a resting heart rate below 60 bpm, sometimes reaching 40 bpm.
See your health care provider if you are concerned about a slow heart rate. If you faint, have difficulty breathing or have chest pain lasting more than a few minutes, call 911 or emergency medical services.
For example, if your heart rate drops into the 30s, you might not get enough oxygen to your brain, making fainting, lightheadedness and shortness of breath possible. Blood can also pool in your heart chambers, causing congestive heart failure.
Bradycardia is a condition where your heart beats more slowly than expected, under 60 beats per minute. For many people, it doesn't cause symptoms and isn't a problem, especially when it happens because you're in very good physical shape.
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.
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.
When the heart does not operate as it is supposed to and develops an abnormally slow heart rate that is less than 60 beats per minute, the condition is known as bradycardia. Bradycardia can be life threatening if the heart is unable to maintain a rate that pumps enough oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
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 main reason for bradycardia is an issue with the heart. These may be due to age, cardiovascular disease, an infection, or an inherited condition. Using heart medication can sometimes lead to bradycardia. It can also happen with diseases such as lupus, sleep apnea, and hypothyroidism.
How does dehydration affect heart rate? If you are dehydrated, the amount of blood circulating through your body decreases. Your heart will try to compensate by beating faster, increasing your 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.
Abnormal Heart Rates or Heart Beats reflect the cardiac conditions of the body. If unnoticed and untreated, this can sometimes be fatal. Conditions when the heartbeat goes beyond 120-140 beats per minute or falls below 60 beats per minute, can be considered dangerous, and immediate doctor's intervention is a must.
The usual culprits are cardiac medications like calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, and other antiarrhythmics which cause bradycardia through known mechanisms affecting the cardiac electrical activity. Other non-cardiac drugs, such as phenytoin, tricyclic antidepressants and lithium, can also cause bradycardia.
Your resting heart rate
When you are at rest, your heart is pumping the lowest amount of blood to supply the oxygen your body's needs. Although the official normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, the range for most healthy adults is between 55 and 85 beats per minute.
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.
Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or if you're not a trained athlete and your resting heart rate is below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.
Changes in Heart Rhythms Are Usually Harmless
Our heart rate adapts to our body's need for energy throughout the day, whether it's for walking up the stairs or a bout of strenuous exercise. These tempo changes based on physical activity are perfectly normal.
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.
Studies have consistently shown that a lower resting heart rate, at least down to 40 bpm, is associated with a longer life span, both in comparisons between individuals and between species. For every 20 additional beats per minute of resting heart rate, mortality increases by 30–50 percent.
Staying hydrated
A 2017 study found that a 335-milliliter drink of water could reduce resting heart rate over a 30-minute period. This decline continued for another 30 minutes. Drinking plenty of beverages throughout the day could lower a person's heart rate.
The Apple Watch is capable of tracking many health-related aspects of your body, including heart rate. While it's not as precise as the measurement a person would get in a hospital or medical setting, numerous studies over the past few years suggest the Apple Watch's readings have a decent accuracy rate.