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Midlife resting heart rate of 75 beats per minute may increase CV, mortality risk in men
Men with a resting heart rate of 75 beats per minute or higher in midlife had an increased risk for CV events and death, compared with men whose resting heart rate was unchanged over 2 decades of follow-up, according to a study published in Open Heart.
Xiao-jing Chen, MD, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the department of cardiology at Sichuan University West China Hospital in Chengdu, China, and colleagues analyzed data from 798 men who were born in 1943 and were living in Gothenburg, Sweden, at age 50 years. Men were assessed in 1993, 2003 (n = 654) and 2014 (n = 536) via physical examinations and questionnaires to collect information on physical activity, smoking habits, previous diseases, family history of CVD and mental stress. Echocardiography was also performed in 2014.
The men were categorized by resting heart rate in 1993: 55 bpm, 56-65 bpm, 66-75 bpm or > 75 bpm. Resting heart rate was measured again in 2003 and 2014 among those still alive to track any changes between 1993 and 2003 and clinical outcomes including treatment for CVD or stroke or related deaths up to 2014.
Men with resting heart rates above 75 bpm in 1993 had a twofold increased risk for all-cause death compared with those with a resting heart rate lower than 55 bpm in 1993 (HR = 2.34; 95%A CI, 1.16-4.74). The researchers reported a similar increased risk for CHD (HR = 2.24; 95% CI, 1.11-4.54) and CVD (HR = 1.82; 95% CI, 1.13-2.95).
Men who had a stable resting heart rate from 1993 to 2003 — at age 50 to 60 years — had a 44% lower risk for CVD vs. those whose resting heart rate increased over time (HR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.35-0.87).
With each beat increase in resting heart rate from 1993, the researchers reported a 1% increased risk for CVD (HR = 1.01; 95% CI, 1-1.02), 3% increased risk for all-cause death (HR = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04) and 2% increased risk for CHD (HR = 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04).
“This finding is clinical relevant in that it highlights that it may be misleading to use only a single [resting heart rate] value to assess the risk over long periods,” Chen and colleagues wrote. “Both the follow-up duration and change in [resting heart rate] are important factors.” – by Darlene Dobkowski
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.