Bradycardia is usually defined as a resting heart rate of <60 bpm or <50 bpm. Data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) now show that bradycardia is not generally associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or death. In a retrospective analysis of 6,733 participants from MESA, the mean age was 62 years, 47% were male, and 13.4% were taking a heart-rate-modifying drug. The mean heart rate was 63 bmp among individuals not taking a heart-rate-modifying drug, and 60 bmp among those taking a heart-rate-modifying drug. Bradycardia (heart rate <50 bpm) was not associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease in either group. In individuals not taking a heart-rate-modifying drug, bradycardia did not affect the adjusted risk of death (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.41–1.09), whereas a heart rate >80 bpm was associated with an increased risk of death (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.08–2.05, P = 0.01). In patients taking a heart-rate-modifying drug, both bradycardia (HR 2.42, 95% CI 1.39–4.02, P = 0.002) and a heart rate >80 bpm (HR 3.55, 95% CI 1.65–7.65, P = 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of death. “Our results,” conclude the investigators, “may be reassuring to most adults found to have asymptomatic bradycardia. In contrast, the association of bradycardia with mortality among participants prescribed drugs that may slow heart rate may have clinical relevance.”