Inflammatory diseases ( rheumatic fever or lupus)īradycardia can affect patients of all ages, genders and ethnicities.Damage caused by a heart attack or heart disease.Hypothyroidism or other metabolic condition.Other risk factors that may contribute to a disruption of the electrical impulses associated with bradycardia include: When this happens, a natural pacemaker in the ventricles may step in to take over regulating the heartbeat, although at a rate that is slower than normal. Third degree - none of the electrical impulses make it from the atria to the ventricles.When a signal does not reach the ventricles, the heart beat it was meant to trigger does not occur. Second degree - only some of the electrical signals from the atria reach the ventricles.First degree - all of the electrical signals from the atria reach the ventricles, although they are transmitted slower than normal.When these pathways do not work properly, the heart rate is affected - a condition often referred to as an atrioventricular block or heart block, of which there are three forms: Dysfunctional conduction pathways - electrical impulses travel in the heart via conduction pathways.When this node isn’t working properly it can trigger much slower electrical impulses causing the heart to beat slower. This group of cells triggers electrical impulses to the heart, causing it to contract. Sinoatrial node problems - the sinoatrial node, often referred to as the sinus node, is considered to be the natural pacemaker of the heart.This disruption can come from four possible causes: In rare cases when bradycardia goes undiagnosed for an extended period of time, the following complications can occur:īradycardia is caused by a disruption in the heart's electrical system that controls the heart rate. Quickly tiring during physical activity.This abnormally low heart rate can cause the brain and other organs to become oxygen-deprived, which can lead to symptoms such as:

The main symptom of bradycardia is a heart rate below 60 beats per minute.

Low blood pressure and high heart rate