What Does Low Pulse Rate Mean?

Pulse rate depends a lot on the health, age and activity level of a person but usually a low pulse rate is the sign of a healthy heart, with many athletes having resting pulse rates in the 40 to 60 (beats per minute) range. Sometimes however, a slow heart rate/pulse, known medically as bradycardia, can be a sign of an underlying health problem, especially if coupled with tiredness, weakness and fainting. In cases like this, it is always wise to check with your doctor.

The beat in your veins that you feel at various places on the body, (the wrist is an example), is a way of measuring heart rate. Heart rate is the number of times a person’s heart beats per minute and is an indicator of how hard the heart is working.

A resting heart rate anywhere in the range of 60 - 90 is considered normal but children and babies can have faster pulses. Heart rates will fluctuate a lot, depending on factors such as activity level, as well as emotions and body weight - if you’re angry, stressed out or upset, your pulse rate is likely to be much higher than if you are calm, for example.

There are a number of medical conditions that can cause the pulse to be slow and these include malnutrition and a thyroid gland that is not functioning properly (hypothyroidism).

If you want more information on this topic, The National Emergency Medicine Association (NEMA) has a webpage with a lot of interesting detail on it.

If you are at all concerned about your pulse rate, it is best to consult your doctor, pharmacist or nurse who can use a blood pressure monitor to establish your pulse rate and rule out any possible underlying health problems you might have.

A normal adult resting pulse rate is usually defined between 60 and 90 beats per minute. Children have higher pulse rates than grown-ups, and of course pulse rates rise with exertion.

A low pulse rate can mean you’re in excellent physical shape. The heart is a muscle, and like every other muscle in your body, it improves with exercise. Barring some physical impairment, if you exercise (under the direction of a physician, of course), your heart will grow stronger, and be able to pump more blood with each beat. It then needs to pump less often because it is more efficient.

However, certain medical conditions can also cause a low pulse rate, and a few of these can lead to cardiac arrest. So if your resting pulse rate is lower than average, and you’re not an athlete in top shape, it’s probably a wise idea to get checked out by your doctor.

Hypothermia, when the body gets too cold, can cause the heart rate to drop. The body is conserving every ounce of energy to stay warm, and thus the heart rate lowers. Also, if the thyroid gland does not secrete enough hormones – a condition called hypothyroidism – low blood pressure and a low heart rate can be the result. Hypothyroidism is usually more of an inconvenience, causing dizzy spells or even fainting, but it can also cause an increase in cholesterol levels, and that should definitely be checked by your doctor.

Extreme malnutrition, to the point of needing medical intervention, could also cause a low pulse rate, though that is rarely seen in industrialized countries these days.

If you’re in good physical shape and your heart rate is low, it probably means your body is working very efficiently. However, a thorough annual physical is never a bad idea to rule out any underlying issues and keep that body working in tip-top shape.

One can measure the number of times the heart beats per minute, by feeling the pulse. The pulse rate is the regular expansion and contraction of an artery as the blood is pumped by the contractions of the heart. It is an indication to show how healthy your heart is. The pulse beat can be felt at the neck, the groin, the top of the feet and the wrist. People usually measure the pulse in the wrist, also known as the radial pulse.

To check the pulse rate, you should count the number of times the pulse beats for 10 seconds. Once you get the number, multiply it by 6. This will give you your heart rate per minute. For example, if there are 11 pulse beats per 10 seconds, multiply: 11X 6=66 beats per minute.

A pulse rate between 60 and 90 is considered to be normal. There are athletes and fitness freaks having an astoundingly low pulse rate of 40-60, which means the pulse rate is quite good. The pulse rate below 60, in medical parlance is called as "bradycardias." Though a low pulse rate is a sign of healthy heart, trouble brews in when a slow pulse is accompanied by other warning signs. When the pulse rate becomes slow, it implies that the heart is pumping slowly than normal. If the person experiences fatigue, weakness and dizziness, then the low pulse rate is not a good thing to have. In fact a low pulse rate with symptoms like fatigue and weakness can even lead to cardiac arrest, if not kept in check.

It is not just the heart which can cause a low pulse rate. A drop in the body temperature (Hypothermia) can also cause low pulse, and so can extreme malnutrition. The condition of the thyroid hormone secreting minimal hormone can also cause a low pulse rate. However, if you have a low pulse rate and there are no accompanying above mentioned symptoms, it means that you are in the pink of health.

A normal pulse rate of a healthy person is 60-100 beats per minutes. Pulse rate is usually referred to heart rate. Low heart rate is also called bradycardia. If a person has a heart rate or pulse rate of 60 beats per minutes at resting condition then he is having bradycardia. There are many reason or conditions which cause decrease in normal heart rate. These conditions can be cardiac or non-cardiac.
Cardiac causes include Ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, degenerative primary electrical disease or vascular heart disease. Non-cardiac causes are metabolic disorders, endocrine disorders, drug abuse, neurological factors, prolonged bed rest, autoimmunity, and electrolyte imbalance.
These are few cause of low pulse rate. You should visit to a cardiologist for proper diagnosis and treatment.