2012/06/20 by Mark Woodward, Ruth Webster, Yoshitaka Murakami +7 · 1 citation
Medicine · #Heart rate and cardiovascular health #Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control #Cardiac Health and Mental Health #Medicine #Hazard ratio #Internal medicine #Stroke (engine) #Cardiology #Proportional hazards model #Heart failure #Cohort #RESTING HEART RATE #Cohort study #Mortality rate #Heart rate #Blood pressure #Confidence interval #Demography
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/2047487312452501
openalex publication_date 2012/06/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26
BACKGROUND: Multiple studies have examined the relationship between heart rate and mortality; however, there are discrepancies in results. Our aim was to describe the relationship between resting heart rate (RHR) and both major cardiovascular (CV) outcomes, as well as all-cause mortality in the Asia-Pacific region. DESIGN AND METHODS: Individual data from 112,680 subjects in 12 cohort studies were pooled and analysed using Cox models, stratified by study and sex, and adjusted for age and systolic blood pressure. RESULTS: During a mean 7.4 years follow-up, 6086 deaths and 2726 fatal or nonfatal CV events were recorded. There was a continuous, increasing association between having a RHR above approximately 65 beats/min and the risk of both CV and all-cause mortality, yet there was no evidence of associations below this threshold. The hazard ratio (95% CI) comparing the extreme quarters of RHR (80+ v <65 beats/min) was 1.44 (1.29-1.60) for CV and 1.54 (1.43-1.66) for total mortality. These associations were not materially changed by adjustment for other risk factors and exclusion of the first 2 years of follow-up. Hazard ratios of a similar magnitude were found for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, but the hazard ratio for heart failure was higher (2.08, 95% CI 1.07-4.06) and for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) was lower (1.11, 95% CI 0.93-1.31) than for stroke. CONCLUSIONS: RHR of above 65 beats/min has a strong independent effect on premature mortality and stroke, but a lesser effect on CHD. Lifestyle and pharmaceutical regimens to reduce RHR may be beneficial for people with moderate to high levels of RHR.