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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Low Heart Rate?

My Dad is 80 years old and has had a low resting heart rate his entire life. He was an elite athlete, but that was many years ago. His heart rate is 40-45 now, and drops to the 30s when he is sleeping. Is this too low? We are considering a pace maker, but will it be risky to bring his heart rate up too high? He has a 90% blockage in his RCA but stint and by-pass are not advised. He has no current pain or symptoms of the blockage.
Wed, 28 Jun 2017
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Cardiologist,  's  Response
A normal heart rate is 60-100 beats/minute. It is less if you exercise and more if you don’t. His elite athlete days are long past. So the numbers that you have reported are not normal. Being abnormal doesn't warrant a pacemaker. Symptoms do. If he has symptoms like fatigue or difficulty with physical activity, it may be necessary. A single artery with narrowing doesn't really play a role in consideration for pacing a heart that is too slow.
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What Causes Low Heart Rate?

A normal heart rate is 60-100 beats/minute. It is less if you exercise and more if you don’t. His elite athlete days are long past. So the numbers that you have reported are not normal. Being abnormal doesn t warrant a pacemaker. Symptoms do. If he has symptoms like fatigue or difficulty with physical activity, it may be necessary. A single artery with narrowing doesn t really play a role in consideration for pacing a heart that is too slow.