Heart Health
Can a slow heartbeat be dangerous?
Ask the doctor
I'm in my 70s, and I get breathless when I climb stairs. Maybe that's normal at my age, but my doctor says the cause may be my slow heartbeat. Can a slow heartbeat be dangerous?A "slow" heartbeat is usually defined as below 60 beats per minute at rest (some experts say below 50). During sleep, your heartbeat often falls below 60, and that's fine. Some very well-conditioned people have slow heartbeats. That's because their strong hearts pump more blood with each beat, so their heart needs to beat less often.
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