Abnormal Heart Rate

Posted By  CCF Cardio MD-SGM on September 26, 1997 at 17:14:46:

In Reply to: Abnormal Heart Rate posted by Mark on September 22, 1997 at 17:30:23:

: I'm a 33 year old male who does not exercise regularly, nonetheless my resting heart rate is 48.  It has been this way for many years, and I have no other major health problems, presently or in the past.  Is this alone a cause for concern?

[CCF Cardio MD-SGM]

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Dear Mark,
Simply put... no.  Although it is true that the typical range of heart rates for resting adults is from 60 to 100 beats per minute,  it is also true that about two percent of people fall out of this range... people who have no medical problem, and just represent a variation on the normal.  There are, however, several relatively common reasons for low heart rates. These include high-level aerobic conditioning(athletes), hypothyroidism, and medications.   The only possibility of these three in your case is the hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid gland.  Typically this condition presents itself with other associated symptoms and signs, such as fatigue, weight gain, and some characteristic physical examination findings.  
Offhand, without the ability to elicit a comprehensive history and perform a physical examination, I wouldn't worry about your resting heart rate.  If you have other symptoms such as the ones I mentioned, I'd see your doctor and undergo a routine physical exam.  
Information provided in the Heart Forum is intended for general medical informational purposes only. Actual diagnosis and treatment of any particular medical condition can only be made by your family physician(s).

[ashley495]

A related discussion, abnormal blood pressure and heart rate was started.