Bradycardia
Dear patients Thank you for your most interesting questions and thank you for trusting me to manage you health. If the heart rate is <60 beats/min, the patient, by definition, has a bradycardia (an arbitrary definition). Bradycardia may be transient, chronic or intermittent. A slow pulse can be physiological (in trained athletes) but may also be indicative of potentially serious cardiac disease. Bradycardia may result from Increased vagal tone. Decreased sympathetic drive. Cardiac drug therapy is a prominent cause, e.g. – -adrenergic blockers (Note: -blocker eye drops (used in treatment of glaucoma) may be systemically absorbed causing bradycardia). – Digoxin (AV block). – Diltiazem. – Verapamil. – Amiodarone (Note: may also cause iatrogenic hypothyroidism). iInjudicous combinations of these drugs may lead to serious bradycardia or heart block. Consider self-accidental or deliberate self-poisoning (includes opiates). Other causes During normal phases of slee