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Heart rate as a predictor of mortality: the MATISS project
F Seccareccia1, F Pannozzo, F Dima
1Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, I-00161 Rome, Italy. fulvias@iss.it
Insights
Resting heart rate is a significant independent predictor of mortality in middle-aged men. Higher heart rates are associated with increased risks for all-cause, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular deaths.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Preventive Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Resting heart rate (RHR) is a readily available physiological marker.
- Its independent prognostic value in low-risk populations requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if RHR independently predicts mortality in a low-risk male cohort.
- To assess the association between RHR and all-cause, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular mortality.
Main Methods:
- An Italian population-based observational study included 2533 men aged 40-69 years.
- Heart rate and cardiovascular risk factors were measured; vital status was tracked until December 1997.
Main Results:
- A total of 393 deaths occurred during 24,457 person-years of follow-up.
- Increasing RHR levels correlated with higher age-adjusted death rates.
- Adjusted hazard ratios for mortality increased with each heart rate increment, with relative risks exceeding twofold between extreme levels.
Conclusions:
- Resting heart rate is an independent predictor of mortality in this cohort.
- Findings highlight the importance of RHR in assessing cardiovascular and overall mortality risk.
Objectives:
This study sought to verify the independent role of heart rate in the prediction of all-cause, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular mortality in a low-risk male population.
Methods:
In an Italian population-based observational study, heart rate was measured in 2533 men, aged 40 to 69 years, between 1984 and 1993. Data on cardiovascular risk factors were collected according to standardized procedures. Vital status was updated to December 1997.
Results:
Of 2533 men followed up (representing 24,457 person-years), 393 men died. Age-adjusted death rates for 5 heart rate levels showed increasing trends. The adjusted hazard rate ratios for each heart rate increment were 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29, 1.78) for all-cause mortality, 1.63 (95% CI = 1.26, 2.10) for cardiovascular mortality, and 1.47 (95% CI = 1.19, 1.80) for noncardiovascular mortality. Relative risks between extreme levels were more than 2-fold for all endpoints considered.
Conclusions:
Heart rate is an independent predictor of cardiovascular, noncardiovascular, and total mortality in this Italian middle-aged male population.