Hi am new on this site as I have recently felt like I am about to pass out.Am waiting for result of ECG from doctors surgery.
As I was diagnosed with high cholesterol I have been exercising and lost half stone walking briskly everyday my resting heart rate has dropped to 54 BPM I am concerned now that it is too low . Should I be worried, I am a 65 Yr old lady.
I find that the more I try to exercise or stay physically active, my resting heart rate is lower which is actually quite normal. However, as you’re symptomatic due to feeling like you’re going to pass out, it might be wise to decrease the level of exercise you’re doing for the time-being until you have your ECG results to rule out anything more sinister.
I hope you are staying hydrated and drinking plenty during and after exercise. Sometimes that can be a factor too.
Good luck for the results. Let us know how you get on.
Tos
Thank you for your reply.I have always walked and tried to eat well but had let that lapse over past year.
Blood pressure etc all fine.
I will take your advice about hydration thank you.
It's just that everything I read says heart rate should be above 60 unless athlete, which I definitely am not .
If you’ve only recently returned to exercise, that could explain the lower heart rate and it may stabilise over time as you exercise/walk more. I’m usually asymptomatic, even if my heart rate drops to the 40’s (which is rarely). But if it is ever that low or you become symptomatic, it is good to speak to a GP like you have done.
Try not to Google your symptoms so much. It is not always accurate as it doesn’t take into consideration everyone’s individual circumstances as we’re all so different.
Good luck for the ECG results.
as has been said. I’ve been increasing the intensity of my exercise (still on 10000 paces a day but making my aerobic exercise a bit stronger ) and have seen RHR down from 68 to 65 in just a few weeks.
My hr is about 50. When I was on beta blockers it was around 45. At no point did I ever feel like passing out.
My RHR is in the low to mid 50’s and I drop to mid to high 40’s overnight. I’m temporarily not taking my beta blocker and I’ve seen a slight rise in both. I’m not having any issues from my HR being as low as it is. It has dropped since I last saw my doctor.
In your circumstances I’d be chasing up the results from your ECG and talking to your doctor as soon as you can.
My resting HR was always below 60 and I never considered myself an athlete. However it started dropping even lower, just for short periods, I would feel faint and on a couple of occasions I actually passed out, and I ended up with a pacemaker. Generally feel pretty good now! 😄
Thanks for your reply, I have had trouble accessing this acct as not the most computer literate.So hope everybody who was kind enough to reply understands that I wasn't ignoring them and am very grateful for responses.
My ecg has shown Long QTs and I am to stop meds and have another in a month.
If still there then Cardiologist is next step.
Was told not to exercise but don't know if that means no walking , which I do every day?
I'm sure nobody thinks you were ignoring them! As for the walking, I'd guess it depends how energetic and how long for, probably best to ask a medic. You could email the BHF helpline though they'll probably just tell you to consult your own doctor/cardiologist. Good luck!
My RHR is around 39, drops to 33 when I'm asleep. It's not a problem to me, I'm physically very active. I've been checked by the doctors and they're happy with that and in fact the cardiologist stated it would be a great benefit in my recovery and obviously no need for betablockers. It's important to have it investigated by the doctors to rule out any malady.
I'm a bit older than you, I love exercise and still exercise probably too much as a result my resting HR can be 54, I don't worry about it at all, good luck
Like others my resting heart rate is in the mid 50s and when asleep it can drop to the low 40s. My GP said there was absolutely nothing to be concerned about.
Hello Gobolino,
A resting heart rate in the low 50s, and even in the 40s, is not uncommon, especially in people who are athletic and have a history of endurance sport. Are you taking medication to protect your heart prior to surgery, such as bispoprolol? If so, then your GP or cardiologist may be able to reduce your dose to bring your heart rate up a little.
If you’re at all concerned please consult your GP or cardiologist.
I’m 64 and had a similarly low heart rate but I have always been fit and active, and had no symptoms. I had mitral valve repair surgery just over two months ago and my heart rate is now around 60-70 but the surgeon reduced my bisoprolol dose from 5mg to 2.5mg. I was told that my heart will take 6 months or more to recover and remodel following the surgery.
Thank you for reply.I have had no heart issues before this and no meds. Blood pressure fine just the faint/ dizzy spells which sent me to GP. I have BP monitor and all fine except lowered Heart Rate.
Hi, my resting heart rate is normally around 40, I have recently started a beta blockers and it will fall to 35. I am male aged 72.I don't have any dizziness associated with the low HR and like you have no blood pressure issues.
If you are exercising more and losing weight then hydration does become more important.
But blood pressure is an important diagnostic measure and might be indicative of a problem in related to the low HR.
Do you take your own BP readings? If not do invest in a basic machine from a chemist, they are under £20 , and give better quality readings from home than white coat syndrome in a GP surgery.
Keeping track of this around dizzy spells but at set times of day will be enormously helpful to your GP.
I used to run in the 80s per minute but after being on antihypertensives for years my pulse is now regularly down around 60 and sometimes in the 50s. I did have trouble with shortness of breath and yes feeling like I would pass out if I walked even as few as about 20 feet. My problem though was probably hereditary as both my parents had it too, aortic valve malfunction. They had open heart surgery, I had a TAVR done this year and all of us did fine. Yours could be something serious like that or it could be that something more easily taken care of like you having a low BP and bringing your pulse rate down. They should find out the problem so don't get too twisted up. Even if it was something like mine it was taken care of in less than an hour and I was home the next morning and doing pretty much anything I wanted except lifting much weight for the next couple of weeks.
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