Mine is usually 58-62 while I'm sitting at my desk. It's easy to take your own pulse. I don't think 53 is anything to worry about. Many athletes will have lower pulse rates than that at rest. I think that a lower pulse rate is generally better than high, but I'm not sure what the interplay is with blood pressure.
Yes it is low but the most important rate is the one you normally beat at. Take your own pulse once a day for a couple weeks and over a period of time you will see what your normal is. I am guessing it is somewhere around 53. so for you that would be normally low.
Or it's a symptom of heartblock. But, I'm pretty sure there are other symptoms that go along with it - shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting spells, etc.
I have a ridiculously low heart-rate as well. I used to worry about it some, but I just had a complete work up (stress test, echo and a few ekg's) and everything came back pretty, so I'm not going to think anymore about it. My heart rate rests around 55 BPM - sometimes getting as low as 48. Doctor said it's normal for me and if I'm not having any symptoms to not worry about it.
To clarify - I did not have the heart workup for the slow heart rate, but for palpitations that started about a month ago.
Last edited by zekat; 02-06-2009 at 04:57 AM.
Reason: Clarification
I was told by a doctor that heart-rate is only too low when it causes symptoms. More often than not, my resting heart-rate is 52-55 bpm, up to 60 bpm. No issues...ever, and I've had it for as long as I can remember.
