Hello Proy,

A slow heart rate or bradycardia is a sign of heart disease in older patients. Bradycardias are caused when the electrical conduction system in the heart is damaged by years a high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.  A slow heart rate can also, less commonly in older patient's, be caused by things other than heart disease, like hypothyroidism.

   Your heart has an elaborate set of special cells that conduct a signals which allows it to contract in an orderly fashion.  In a young, undiseased heart, signals from your brain that tell your heart how fast to beat are conducted from the top part of your heart (the atria) to the bottom (the ventricles).  This set-up provides your heart with an organized and efficient way of beating.  When these pathways are impaired from heart disease, the conduction system does not work as well as it should, which oftentimes leads to irregular heart rates and rhythms.

Your dad, especially if he is experiencing symptoms, like light-headedness, weakness, dizziness, falls, fatigue, chest pain or shortness of breath, should seek medical care immediately to evaluate the cause of his slow heart rate.  He at least needs an EKG and lab work to determine the cause of his symptoms.

To your health,
Neil MD