Asymptomatic bradycardia is a condition in which a person has bradycardia, or a slow heartbeat, without any of the classic bradycardia symptoms. Typically, bradycardia patients experience dizziness, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and lightheadedness that help healthcare professionals diagnose their condition. With asymptomatic bardicardia, the only way to know if a patient has the condition is to measure their resting heart rate.
For a patient to be diagnosed with bradycardia, their resting heart rate must measure below a certain number of beats per minute. Technically, a resting heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute means that a patient may have bradycardia, but if the patient's resting heart rate does not drop below between 55 and 50 beats per minute, they generally do not show any symptoms of bradycardia.
Patients who are asymptomatic and have a resting heart rate of 55 beats per minute or less generally never require the use of a pacemaker. Some medical researchers even theorize that asymptomatic bradycardia for such patients indicates cardiovascular health. People who exercise regularly may have a lower resting heart rate due to a stronger and more efficient cardiovascular system, which requires the heart to pump less to achieve the same results.
The risks of asymptomatic bradycardia are generally not as serious as those of normal bradycardia. Still, bradycardia poses a risk that the heart and other organs of the patient's body do not receive enough oxygen. Insufficient oxygen levels in turn can lead to organ failure, including cardiac arrest and possibly death.
As with other forms of bradycardia, asymptomatic bradycardia can be caused by several things. Cardiac causes of the condition include vascular heart disease, degenerative primary electrical disease, and various neurological disorders. Non-cardiac causes are usually secondary causes of bradycardia. Some non-cardiac causes can include an electrolyte imbalance in a patient's blood, narcotic abuse, and problems with the patient's metabolism.
Treatment of asymptomatic bradycardia differs from that of symptomatic bradycardia. Since asymptomatic patients normally have sufficient oxygen saturations in their blood, doctors generally do not recommend treatments for the condition. The doctor will likely want to monitor the patient's condition on a regular basis, in case the patient's condition suddenly changes for the worse. If an asymptomatic patient begins to experience symptoms of bradycardia, you should contact your doctor for advice and treatment, which may include implantation of a pacemaker to monitor the patient's resting heart rate.