Bradycardia

Definition

An abnormally slow heart rate, typically below 60 beats per minute. What Olympic athletes call 'normal resting' and what emergency rooms call 'concerning.'

Example Usage

The monitor showed bradycardia, but the attending wasn't worried since the patient was a marathon runner with a resting heart rate that would make a sloth jealous.

Origin

From Greek 'bradys' (slow) and 'kardia' (heart)

Fun Fact

Lance Armstrong reportedly had a resting heart rate of 32 bpm, proving that context matters when deciding if bradycardia is athletic prowess or medical emergency.

Source: Cardiology and emergency medicine terminology

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