How likely is a healthy 50 year old man to die in his sleep?

Question

My boyfriend is 50 and has had a complete cardiac workup done, after chest pains last fall (no cause for the pain was ever diagnosed). He runs several miles 3-4 times a week, doesn't smoke, eats very healthy meals. But he has had a couple of tests that indicate his heart rate drops to as low as 4-5 seconds between beats. He is afraid this will mean he will die in his sleep unexpectedly. I have tried to reassure him but have not been able to find information on the internet to assess the likelihood of this happening. Any information or sources you can point me to would be appreciated!

Update:

I meant to say his heartbeat drops that low when he is sleeping.

Variable 46 · Accepted Answer

He needs to discuss this with the cardiologist who gave him the "complete workup."  He should do so very soon.

? · Answer

4-5 seconds between beats means his heart rate is about 15 per minute when he is asleep. This is called bradycardia  (brady means slow). If it only happens when he is asleep, he may have sleep apnea, a condition where the breathing is obstructed when you are sleeping.  It is a possibility that a person with severe bradycardia could (in theory) die in their sleep. If he has had a complete cardiac workup, he needs to stop looking himself up on the Internet and actually get some urgent treatment from that cardiologist . I've attached a link with information about bradycardia.

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How likely is a healthy 50 year old man to die in his sleep?

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