Effect of heart-rate recovery on long-term mortality among men and women

The objective was to estimate the effect of heart-rate recovery (HRR) among men and women on total mortality during long-term follow-up. During 1969-70, a health-screening program was offered to a population sample of 3064 individuals aged 18-64 years to estimate the needs of health-care (participants 2446, i.e. 80%). An exercise test was performed on 513 men and 553 women. Mortality was followed up until 1996. Multivariate analysis was performed by Cox regression; the first model adjusted for age, the second also for heart rate, hypertension and blood glucose, and the third also for BMI, smoking, physical fitness and expected level of healthcare, with hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Low HRR among men was defined as the lower three quartiles, and among women as the lower two quartiles. HR for low HRR in age-adjusted model among men was 2.41 (95% CI 1.29-3.52) and among women 2.04 (95% CI 1.25-3.34), and in full model among men 2.09 (95% CI 1.06-4.11), and among women 1.72 (95% CI 0.98-3.00). With this study added to the bulk of knowledge, low HRR may be regarded as an independent risk factor for mortality.