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Heart rate as a predictor of cardiovascular risk
Marijana Tadic1, Cesare Cuspidi2, Guido Grassi3,4
1Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Insights
Elevated resting heart rate (HR) is a significant predictor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. This association holds true even after accounting for other risk factors, highlighting HR
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Resting heart rate (HR) is a recognized predictor of mortality across various populations.
- It impacts both general populations and individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize current scientific understanding of how heart rate influences cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality.
- To consolidate evidence on the prognostic value of heart rate in diverse patient groups.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of major databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Ovid, EMBASE).
- Inclusion of large follow-up studies and meta-analyses published between January 1990 and September 2017.
- Keywords included "heart rate," "resting heart rate," "mortality," "outcome," "hypertension," "heart failure," "ischaemic heart disease," "coronary heart disease," and "stroke."
Main Results:
- Consistent evidence links increased heart rate to higher rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality.
- The association between elevated heart rate and adverse outcomes is generally more pronounced in men.
- Heart rate independently predicts adverse events, even when adjusted for major cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension and dyslipidemia.
Conclusions:
- Elevated heart rate exerts a significant negative influence on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health outcomes.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the role of heart rate in primary and secondary prevention strategies.
- Optimal heart rate reduction targets for preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events require further investigation.
Background:
Heart rate (HR) is a predictor of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality in the general population, as well as in patients with cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases. We aimed to summarize current knowledge regarding the influence of HR on cardio- and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality.
Materials And Methods:
PubMed, MEDLINE, Ovid and EMBASE databases were searched for large follow-up studies or meta-analysis published between January 1990 and September 2017 in the English language using the following keyword "heart rate," "resting heart rate," "mortality," "outcome," "hypertension," "heart failure," "ischaemic heart disease," "coronary heart disease" and "stroke."
Results:
The relationship between increased HR and cardio- and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality has been reported in a large number of studies, and the results regarding this association are concurrent. This connection is generally stronger in men than in women. The increase in HR usually occurs in parallel with elevation of blood pressure and metabolic disturbances (insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia). However, even after adjustment for the most important cardiovascular risk factors, HR remained an independent predictor of adverse events in global population or in patients with cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases.
Conclusion:
HR has an important negative effect on cardio- and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. Future longitudinal investigations should clarify HR significance and optimal HR reduction for primary and secondary prevention in cardio- and cerebrovascular events.
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