slow heart rate and bradycardia

[stargazey]

Does anyone suffer from chronotropic incompetence? My heart rate rarely goes over 60-65 during activity. Lowest resting is 46. I'm 73 and always been reasonably active but not so much lately.

[JonathanPittsCrick]

The inadequate increase in heart rate with exercise can be caused by a number of non-heart factors (especially taking beta blocker medication) but otherwise it is most often due to mild sinus node disease, which is increasingly common as you get older. It is generally not dangerous unless it gets bad enough to make you fall asleep while driving but can be quite debilitating, causing fatigue, poor circulation, sleepiness at rest, disturbed sleep and a general feeling of anxiety, as well as provoking attacks of rapid irregular heartbeat.

I have found that many people with these symptoms feel very much better after having a pacemaker fitted but, I have to say, some of my cardiology colleagues with less experiemce in pacing strongly disagree with this.

[ling in reply to JonathanPittsCrick]

"but can be quite debilitating, causing fatigue, poor circulation, sleepiness at rest, disturbed sleep ... as well as provoking attacks of rapid irregular heartbeat."

I must say these symptoms u mention all happened to my 85 year old mother before she had her pacemaker implanted. The rapid heart beat though occurred only very rarely.

After being fitted with the pacemaker, she became completely well, her energy levels returned, the disturbed sleep disappeared, no more cold hands and feet, sleepiness at rest. She was back to her normal energetic self. This lasted one great year.

In June, some of the nastier symptoms suddenly returned. Fatigue, suddenly knocking out and waking when at rest, cold hands and feet, disturbed sleep, unstable BP different from her normal pattern, and then in August, the irregular heart beat symbol shows up on her BP monitor. So what's up now??

[stargazey]

Thank you for your reassurance.