OnMedica – News – High resting heart rate in mid-life doubles the risk of premature death

And the increase in heart rate during the fifties is linked to an increased risk of heart disease

A resting heart rate of 75 beats per minute in mid-life is linked to a doubling of the risk of premature death from all causes, at least among men, research * published in the online journal Open heart shows.

The study also found that men whose heart rate had increased to 50 years were at increased risk of heart disease over the next 11 years.

To find out what impact a higher than normal resting heart rate could have on long-term health and the risk of premature death, the researchers studied a randomly selected group of men over 50 belonging to to the general population, who was born in 1943 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

In 1993, 798 out of a total of 1450 completed questionnaires on lifestyle, family history of cardiovascular disease and stress levels. They also had a complete medical examination including their resting heart rate, which clbadified the group into four categories: 55 bpm or less; 56-65 bpm; 66-75 bpm; and more than 75 bpm. Resting heart rate was measured again in 2003 and 2014 among those who were still alive and eager to participate at these times (654 and 536, respectively).

During the 21-year surveillance period, 119 (just under 15%) of the 798 original men died before their 71st birthday; 237 (nearly 28%) developed cardiovascular disease; and 113 (just over 14%) developed coronary artery disease.

Men whose resting heart rate was above 55 bpm in 1993 were more likely to smoke, to be less physically active and to be more stressed than those whose rate was lower. They were also more likely to have other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as higher blood pressure and weight. A resting heart rate greater than 75 beats per minute in 1993 was badociated with an approximately twice as high risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular disease, and coronary heart disease compared to a resting heart rate of 55 or less.

Men whose resting heart rate was stable between 1993 and 2003, when they were between the ages of 50 and 60, had a 44% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease over the next 11 years compared with men. those whose resting heart rate had increased during this period. . For each additional increase in the rate, men had a higher risk of death, 3% higher, a higher risk of cardiovascular disease of 1% and a higher risk of coronary heart disease of 2%.

The researchers suggest that monitoring changes in resting heart rate over time can be important to discover the risk of future cardiovascular disease.

Chen X, SB Barywani, Hansson P, et al. Impact of heart rate variations with age on all-cause deaths and cardiovascular events in 50-year-old men in the general population. Open heart 2019; 6: e000856. doi: 10.1136 / openhrt-2018-000856