Study Examines Changes in Resting Heart Rate Over Time

December 21st, 2011

Study Examines Changes in Resting Heart Rate Over Time

Larry Husten, PHD

Although resting heart rate (RHR) has been long known to be associated with cardiovascular risk, change in RHR over time has not been well studied. A new paper from Norway published in JAMA demonstrates that an increase in RHR over 10 years helps predict the risk of all-cause and ischemic heart disease (IHD) death.

Javaid Nauman and colleagues analyzed data from nearly 30,000 Norwegian adults without known cardiovascular disease who had their RHR measured at baseline and at 10 years.

During a mean follow-up of 12 years, IHD mortality and adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) according to RHR were as follows:

RHR <70 bpm on both measurements: 8.2 deaths/10,000 person-years.
RHR <70 bpm on the first measurement, RHR >85 bpm on the second measurement: 17.2 deaths/10,000 person-years, AHR 1.9 (CI 1.0-3.6).
RHR 70-85 bpm on the first measurement, RHR >85 bpm on the second measurement: 17.4 deaths/10,000 person-years, AHR 1.8 (CI 1.2-2.8).

The data were less clear about people who had a decrease in RHR over time. Overall, no benefit was observed among those whose RHR decreased, but a 40% reduction in IHD mortality was observed in a subgroup of people with RHR between 70 and 85 bpm followed by an RHR below 70 bpm.

The authors concluded that “information on RHR and its time-related changes are easy to obtain and follow-up and may be useful in identifying asymptomatic people who could benefit from measures of primary prevention.”

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December 21st, 2011