A few months ago during my annual medical checkup, my provider thought that my heart rate seemed a little low. My watch records that my resting heart rate hovers in the low 50’s. She sent me to a cardiologist who put me on a heart monitor for a month. They also did an EKG and an echocardiogram. None of the tests showed any cause for alarm. Since that time, I’ve started exercising regularly. I typically ride my stationary bike for an hour and a half a day and golf 3-4 times per week but I am FAR from being an athlete. I’m male, 6’1”, 240 pounds and am on a blood pressure medicine.
Since I’ve started exercising, my heart rate has gotten lower and lower. Today’s resting heart rate is 43. I took a nap after work and when I looked at my watch, I had a low heart rate alarm. It said that my heart rate got down to 38. It doesn’t tell how long it stayed there.
Should I be concerned about this? Do I need a second opinion?
I am not a doctor, I am not your doctor, yada yada yada. You say you are on blood pressure medicine. Is your BP too high or too low? You suffer from Bradycardia. Here’s a nice article on it.
If it were me, I would get a second opinion to see if this is an issue that needs further attention. My guess is it doesn’t, but you need to get peace of mind and a second opinion will help with that.
This article talks about bradycardia plus high BP, so it does happen, but it’s out of my league. Hopefully a medical-type person will chime in with their experience/understanding of such things.
You’re on a beta-blocker and/or a calcium-channel blocker I’m betting.
Last time I was in the hospital the EKG keep pinging because my HR dropped below 50, they cut my Carvedilol, a beta-blocker.
Pediatrician not internist. But quick google finds
We had a recent thread on heart rates.
Several of us are low like you without being on meds. FWIW my sense is that it is not to worry if it is causing no symptoms, especially if an EKG is normal other than rate. Better than a fast resting heart rate.
I know several people who’ve had this sort of exchange:
Doctor: Your heart rate is very low, like near 40 resting.
Patient: Cyclist.
Doctor: Oh ok carry on then.
They are more of the elite athlete type, the ones who’ve been doing it since they were kids and are now in their 40s and 50s. It does seem to be a mix of fitness and genetics, but it’s still important to check on other meds too as previous posters have mentioned.
