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Slow heart rate recovery after exercise is associated with carotid atherosclerosis

Sae Young Jae1, Mercedes R Carnethon2, Kevin S Heffernan1

  • 1Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 112 Huff Hall, MC-586, 1206 S. Fourth Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States.

Atherosclerosis
|December 2, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Slow heart rate recovery after exercise is linked to carotid atherosclerosis in men. This finding suggests a connection between autonomic function and arterial health, independent of traditional risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Biology
  • Autonomic Nervous System Function

Background:

  • Slow heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise indicates impaired parasympathetic tone and predicts mortality.
  • Carotid atherosclerosis is a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between slow HRR and carotid atherosclerosis.
  • To determine if this association persists after adjusting for known risk factors.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study of 12,712 middle-aged men.
  • Carotid atherosclerosis assessed via B-mode ultrasonography (stenosis >25% or intima-media thickness >1.2mm).
  • HRR calculated as peak heart rate minus heart rate 2 minutes post-exercise.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was 8.4%.
  • Atherosclerosis was more common in the lowest HRR quartile (14.4%) vs. highest (4.1%).
  • Low HRR (<44 bpm) was associated with a 1.50-fold increased likelihood of carotid atherosclerosis (95% CI: 1.13-2.00), even after multivariable adjustment.

Conclusions:

  • Slow HRR is independently associated with carotid atherosclerosis in middle-aged men.
  • This suggests decreased parasympathetic activity may contribute to atherosclerosis.
  • HRR may serve as a novel indicator for vascular risk assessment.
Abstract

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