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When to See a Doctor for Bradycardia

May 29, 2025

Best guess — What’s your heart rate? If it’s under 60 beats per minute, you technically have “bradycardia” — Latin for a slow heart. But don’t worry just yet: In many cases, a slow heart rate isn’t a problem at all.

So when is bradycardia something to worry about? We asked an expert.

If you feel healthy, no need to worry.

Good news first: Bradycardia may just be how your body works. Yes, your heart beats at a slower rate than “normal.” It’s still getting the job done, though — and you’re perfectly healthy.

“Many times, if not most of the time, simply having bradycardia is not dangerous,” says Steven Zweibel, MD, Director of the Cardiac Device Clinic at Hartford Hospital and a cardiac electrophysiologist at Hartford HealthCare’s Heart & Vascular Institute.

In fact, a slow heart rate can even be a sign of good health. For example, dedicated athletes like marathon runners often have significant bradycardia. Even among the general population, many people’s heart rate dips below 60 beats per minute during sleep.

> Related: 8 Heart-Healthy Snacks to Keep You Going

If you have symptoms, you should see a doctor for bradycardia.

Then again, bradycardia can be a sign of something more serious — like when your heart gets stuck in slow gear, or struggles to keep up with your body’s needs.

“Sometimes bradycardia becomes a problem when the heart rate is incapable of increasing when it should, like when you’re climbing a hill or a fight of stairs,” says Dr. Zweibel. “When this happens, the heart doesn’t supply enough blood and oxygen to your brain and muscles.”

How to know if that’s you?

Symptoms to watch for:

• Lightheadedness or dizziness, even at rest
• Becoming fatigued or short of breath, especially with exertion
• Passing out

“If you’re noticing symptoms, that’s when you should see a doctor for bradycardia,” says Dr. Zweibel.

> Related: When to See a Doctor for an Irregular Heartbeat 

Does age have anything to do with it?

You can have bradycardia — whether good, bad or neutral — at any stage of life. However, like pretty much every other health risk, the bad kind trends upward with age.

“It’s incredibly common for people who are older — for example, in their 70s or 80s — to develop some dysfunction of the normal pacemaker cells of the heart,” says Dr. Zweibel. That can lead not only to bradycardia, but other issues related to heart rhythm, like atrial fibrillation and tachy-brady syndrome (where your heart switches between beating too fast and too slow).

While this may be common, it’s also dangerous.

“Unfortunately, many times the symptoms of bradycardia just get blown off as old age. In actuality, you may have a problem where you need treatment,” says Dr. Zweibel.

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What happens when you see a doctor for bradycardia?

Your cardiologist will start by ruling out other possible causes. (For instance: Certain medications, like some beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, can slow your heart rate.)

If they determine the problem is indeed your heart, they’ll talk to you about ways to solve it.

“Often, the treatment for bradycardia is a pacemaker — an implanted device that prevents your heart from going too slow, and can even increase the heart rate for you when you’re exerting yourself,” says Dr. Zweibel.

With a bit of mechanical assistance, your heart will be on time, every time.