An Abuja medical practitioner, Dr Solomon Anoti, said on Wednesday that recreational drug use or abuse could lead to Bradycardia (very slow heart beat).
Anoti disclosed in Abuja that if the heart beats less than 60 times a minute, it is slower than normal.
He said that Bradycardia can be a serious problem if the heart doesn’t pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body, for some people, however, bradycardia doesn’t cause symptoms or complications.
He also said that an implanted pacemaker and other treatments may correct bradycardia and help heart maintain an appropriate rate.
“A waking heart rate below 40 is considered absolute bradycardia while during sleep, a slow heartbeat with rates around 40 to 50 is common and is considered normal.
“For most people, a heart rate of 60 to 100 beats a minute while resting is considered normal.
“But if your heart beats less than 60 times a minute, it is slower than normal; a slow heart rate can be normal and healthy.
“Highly trained athletes may also have athletic heart syndrome, a very slow resting heart rate that occurs as a sport adaptation and helps prevent tachycardia (an abnormally resting heart rate) during training.
“Martin Brady holds the world record for the slowest heartbeat in a healthy human, ’’ he said.
Anoti said that the treatment of bradycardia is dependent on whether or not the person is stable or unstable, if oxygen saturations are low, supplemental oxygen should be provided.
He said that if the person is unstable, the initial recommended treatment is intravenous atropine and doses less than 0.5mg should not be used, as this may further decrease the rate.
