Slower heart rates more common in athletes

Dear Dr. Roach: I have a question about a resting heart rate, specifically when it is considered too slow for one’s health. I am a 67-year-old male who, from an early age to the present time, has always been physically active every day. Now retired, I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I work out. The endorphin boosts and benefits to my body are my daily rewards.

Recently, I received a fitness watch that tracks my heart rate. My nightly sleep sessions show a range of 39-58 bpm over the past month. During a dental visit a while ago, I was told by the hygienist that she knew of an athlete who died in his sleep, and his heart rate was so slow that it just stopped. Is this possible?

D.M.

That really wasn’t a great thing for the hygienist to say, as there is very little truth to it. Most people who exercise do have a slower heart rate, and it’s a good sign of a healthy heart. Unfortunately, there is a little bit of truth to what the hygienist said, which is that some older people can develop heart block when the electrical impulse from the natural pacemaker of the heart fails to pass to the ventricles. This is an occasional cause of sudden cardiac death.

Your heart rate suggests to me that it’s more likely the healthy heart rate of an athlete than it is a disease of the electrical conduction system, but a visit with your regular doctor or cardiologist can separate this through a simple electrocardiogram in most cases. Some people just have slow heart rates, which can benefit from a pacemaker if they’re symptomatic.