What Is Bradycardia?

Bradycardia is an adult heart rate of less than 60 beats a minute. The normal rate is 60-90 beats, the average being 72-78.

Bradycardia is naturally present in many athletes and other healthy, vigorous people. However, it can be caused by heart block or jaundice and may also occur during convalescence after an infectious disease — for example, influenza or pneumonia.

Except in cases of heart block, the rate returns to normal as the patient recovers from the disease.