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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staff
Age
A key risk factor for bradycardia is age. Heart problems, which are often associated with bradycardia, are more common in older adults.
Risk factors related to heart disease
Bradycardia is often associated with damage to heart tissue from some type of heart disease. Therefore, factors that increase your risk of heart disease may also increase the risk of bradycardia. Lifestyle changes or medical treatment may decrease the risk of heart disease associated with the following factors:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Smoking
- Heavy alcohol use
- Use of illegal drugs
- Psychological stress or anxiety
References
- Arrhythmia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/arr/arr_all.html. Accessed Feb. 12, 2011.
- Ganz LI. Sinus bradycardia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 12, 2011.
- Vijayaraman P, et al. Bradyarrhythmias and pacemakers. In: Fuster V, et al. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3051085. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
- Tomaselli GF. The bradyarrhythmias. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2874424. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
- Bradycardia. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Arrhythmia/TypesofArrhythmias/Bradycardia_UCM_302016_Article.jsp. Accessed Feb. 15, 2011.
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