Low Heart Rate - is this serious?

[pudsybear]

My dad is 55 and has normal blood pressure, but a heart rate of approx 52 beats per minute.  His mum has had 3 heart attacks, his dad died young with a stroke, his sister has angina, some of his uncles have died of heart attacks.  I am very worried that his low heart beat could be a warning sign for him.  My question is if anything what???  

Please reply

Thanks

[CCF-M.D.-KE]

Dear Pudsybear,

A heart rate of 52 in an of itself is not a cause for concern. However, given your father's strong family history of heart diseae, I would recommend a visit to his primary doctor. His doctor will   perform a detailed physical examination, obtain an ECG and routine blood work including a cholesterol level. This would be reasonable approach in an effort to  try and prevent any manifestation of heart disease.  

Thanks for your question,

CCF-MD-KE

[karie]

What is your rhythm like on a daily basis ? a 42 resting heartbeat with pvc's, pac's and told this with low b/p and ok blood work offers no concern at 34, yet symptoms increase and found some levels low : Potassium 3.4 and 4.6 on klor-con .
Do you take anything ?

[tinky]

Hello Im 25 years old not so fit, eat healthy as however my heart rate is around 56-62 bpm it freaks me out sometimes to the point where I go to panic attacks and think that my heart is going to stop.  

I am anaemic and sometimes feel that could be the problem is there anything else I can do

[wn5dhm]

My husband is 66 years old and does six miles every day at an average speed of around 4.5 mph.  His resting heart rate is 48 - 50, and everyone says that this means that he is in very good shape.

[Asynca]

I do heaps of exercise (I usually walk briskly for about 3-6 hours a day), so my resting heart rate goes down to around 40 bpm. When I was in hospital recently, every time I got a new nurse, she'd come in and check my ECG, see 39, and freak out ;)
Being brady used to freak me out, but I've come to realise that the reason I'm asymptomatic is because nothing is wrong :)

Asynca

[karie]

I too walk alot every day and find myself up more then sitting, thin and active But at 34 I still wish I would not have pvc's and symptoms associated with mvp/heart murmurs. Do you have low b/p as well ?
thanks

[Asynca]

My b/p varies between 90/60 to about 120/70, depending on what I've done during the day before it's taken. I have pvcs quite often - usually between about 3pm-6pm I have a series of several in a minute or so now and then. However, since I've stopped worrying about them I hardly notice them anymore. The key is not to worry - because worrying makes them stronger and more frequent.

[Chris2001a]

YMMV...But when my mom was in the CICU waiting quad bypass surgery, the EKG monitor read 39bpm. So if you have a history of heart disease in your family, and the pulse is low, do get it checked out. Mom came into the ER with a pulse below 50, with 4 major blood vessels to the heart over 80% blocked.

Which is a good reminder to make sure to get a decent primary physician, who'll advocate close monitoring. Dxes of "pulled chest muscle" just doesn't cut it. If mom didn't have that angina attack she would've been dead 15 years ago.

Chris