What does a heart rate below 60 beats per minute indicate?

A heart rate below 60 beats per minute is classified as bradycardia. This condition reflects a slower than normal heart rate, which can occur as a result of various factors, including increased vagal tone, some medication effects, or underlying health issues like heart disease. In healthy individuals, particularly athletes, lower heart rates can be common, but in other situations, bradycardia may signify a problem with the heart's electrical conduction system or may indicate that the body is not receiving sufficient blood flow, necessitating further evaluation.

In contrast, tachycardia refers to a heart rate over 100 beats per minute, normal sinus rhythm is the regular heart rhythm typically ranging from 60 to 100 beats per minute, and arrhythmia denotes any irregularity in the heartbeat, which encompasses a broad range of rhythm disorders. Each of these terms describes different cardiac conditions, but bradycardia specifically addresses the scenario of a decreased heart rate under 60 beats per minute.