People who want to stay healthy should keep an eye on their resting heart rate, as it can predict the likelihood of premature death in middle-aged men. In a new study, researchers say a higher heart rate also increases the risk of premature death.
Resting heart rate is the number of heart beats per minute when the body is at rest. A resting heart rate of 50 to 100 beats per minute (bpm) is believed to be in the normal range.
With their study, the researchers wanted to find out what impact a resting heart rate at the upper end of the normal range might have on long-term health and the risk of premature death (before age 75).
They examined a randomly selected group of menAge of over 50 years, all of whom were born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1943.
In 1993, the 798 participants completed questionnaires about lifestyle, family history of cardiovascular disease and stress. They received a comprehensive medical examination, which included measuring their resting heart rate.
During the 21-year observation period, 119 (just under 15%) of the men died before their 71st birthday; 237 (almost 28%) developed cardiovascular disease and 113 (just over 14%) developed coronary artery disease.
Men whose resting heart rates were above 55 beats per minute in 1993 were more likely to be smokers, less physically active and more stressed than those whose rates were lower. However, they also had other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as higher blood pressure and greater body weight.
However, a resting heart rate of 75+ beats per minute was associated with about twice the risk of having oneCardiovascular diseaseor dying from coronary artery disease compared with a resting heart rate of 55 or less.
This is an observational study and as such cannot represent a cause-and-effect relationship. Additionally, the research was limited to men only, and the age of the participants may itself have been an influential factor, the researchers note.
However, the results of the research have clinical implications, as observing changes in resting heart rate over time may help estimate the risk of future cardiovascular disease.
The results of the study were published in the English-language journal„Open Heart“ des British Medical Journalpublished.
