Epidemiology of resting pulse rate of persons ages 25-74--data from NHANES 1971-74

Data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were examined to produce national estimates for pulse rate distributions, confirm previously reported associations with pulse rate, and to perform analyses of associations of pulse rate with dietary, biochemical, hematological, and other variables that might shed light on the nature of the associations of heart rate with hypertension and mortality. Among persons 25-74 years in the NHANES Survey, women had slightly higher resting pulse rates than men. Age had no consistent effects. Pulse rate was slightly higher in whites than in blacks among women and 25-44-year-old men. Resting pulse rate was slightly higher in fall and winter than in spring and summer and in the afternoon and evening than in the morning. Blood pressure and body temperature were significantly positively associated with pulse rate independent of multiple confounders. Heart beats per minute as recorded by electrocardiogram were slightly higher among smokers than nonsmokers after adjustment for multiple confounders. Of a large number of dietary, biochemical, and hematological variables, only total white blood cell count, hemoglobin, and serum uric acid showed consistent, independent associations with resting pulse or heart rate; these findings require confirmation in other populations.