Each day, a normal heart contracts about 100,000 times, at a rate of anywhere from 60 to 100 times a minute.

Cardiologist Dr. David Bailey explains the average heart rate is 65-80 beats per minute, an abnormally slow heart rate is typically below 60 beats. "Usually there's an electrical disturbance in the heart where the heart does not produce enough electrical signals from the top part down to the bottom part." If the heart is not pumping enough blood to meet your body's needs, insufficient blood flows to your brain and this is when a slow heart rate can cause symptoms. "Tiredness, fatigue, sometimes people feeling shortness of breath and of coarse dizziness or passing out are sometimes a major issue."

And when a slow heart rate is discovered and it's causing problems, treatment options are dependent upon each individual case.

Dr. Bailey further explains, "Reviewing the medicines people are on, are they appropriate for the patient? Some people do require a pacemaker if there are major concerns and the patient is felt suitable for that." An extremely low heart rate is often classified as an age-related disease, affecting more people over the age of 70. "Actually old age and the conduction system of the heart getting really beaten up if you'd like over time, so usually it's an age related thing."

It's usually age related, but younger people can have it, even babies can be born with very low heart rates.

Some people, such as athletes in top condition, have a resting heart rate of below 60 and this is normal for them.