Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Cf-PWV to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
Published on: May 3, 2018
Association of Resting Heart Rate with the Risk of Stroke in Men
Chunxiao Xu1, Yu Guo2, Zheng Bian2
1Department of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China.
Insights
Higher resting heart rate increases stroke risk in Chinese men, especially those who are not overweight. This finding highlights the importance of monitoring heart rate for stroke prevention in men.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular epidemiology
- Public health
- Preventive medicine
Background:
- Resting heart rate (RHR) is a potential indicator of cardiovascular risk.
- The combined effects of RHR and body mass index (BMI) on stroke incidence require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the independent and combined associations of RHR and BMI with stroke incidence.
- To investigate stroke subtypes in relation to RHR and BMI in a Chinese rural population.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study utilizing data from the Tongxiang China Kadoorie Biobank.
- Cox proportional hazard models were employed to analyze the relationship between RHR, BMI, and stroke.
- Included 23,132 men and 32,872 women with a mean follow-up of 6.9 years.
Main Results:
- Higher RHR (≥ 90 beats/minute) was associated with increased risk of stroke and ischemic stroke in men.
- This association was more pronounced in non-overweight/obese men, with adjusted hazard ratios of 1.37 for stroke and 1.46 for ischemic stroke.
- No significant associations were observed between RHR and stroke risk in women.
Conclusions:
- Elevated RHR is an independent predictor of stroke and ischemic stroke risk in adult Chinese men.
- The risk is particularly elevated in non-overweight/obese men with higher RHR.
- RHR does not appear to be a significant predictor of stroke risk in women within this cohort.
Background:
A resting heart rate may be correlated with an increased risk of stroke. Therefore, we explored the independent and joint influences of heart rate and body mass index on the incidence of stroke and its sub-types in a Chinese rural population.
Methods:
Cox proportional hazard models were adopted for measuring the influence exerted by heart rate on stroke in the Tongxiang China Kadoorie Biobank prospective cohort analyses, in which 23,132 men and 32,872 women were included. Incident stroke refers to '24-hour acute focal disorder, considered to result from ischemia or intracranial hemorrhage'.
Results:
Over a 6.9 year mean follow up period, 986 men and 925 women developed stroke, representing an incidence of 6.35 and 4.00 per 1,000 person-years. In contrast to men with heart rate < 69 beats/minute, men at heart rate ≥ 90 beats/minute could more probably develop stroke and ischemic stroke with representing hazard ratio [95% confidence interval (CI)] 1.29 (1.05 - 1.58), and 1.35 (1.06 - 1.71). An adjusted hazard ratio of 1.37 (95% CI = 1.06 - 1.74) and 1.46 (95% CI = 1.08 - 1.96) were respectively identified for stroke and ischemic stroke in non-overweight/obese male patients with heart rate ≥ 90 beats/minute. Joint analyses also favored the results. Unfortunately, non-significant results were found in women.
Conclusion:
Higher resting heart rate acts as an independent predictor of any stroke and ischemic stroke risk in adult Chinese male but not in female. This relationship was particularly evident among nonoverweight/obese male participants.
More Related Videos
06:04Author Spotlight: Assessing the Cardiovascular Profile of Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
Published on: September 27, 2024
10:21Evaluation of Hydration Status by Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease Undergoing Exercise Stress Test
Published on: September 22, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Factors Influencing Heart Rate
Let us explore the significant factors affecting heart rate, including age, body temperature, posture, acute pain, chemical influences,...
Coronary Artery Disease IV: Preventive Measures
Ischemic Heart Disease: Overview
Atherosclerosis, the primary malefactor, orchestrates this dangerous condition. It manifests as the accumulation of fatty deposits, akin to insidious plaques, within arterial walls. As time elapses, these plaques metamorphose, hardening and...
Regulation of Stroke Volume
Preload refers to the degree of stretch on the heart before it contracts. It's analogous to the stretching of a rubber band; the more it's stretched, the more forcefully it snaps back. This concept is encapsulated in the Frank-Starling law of the...
Cardiac Output and Stroke Volume
In an average resting adult male, the typical cardiac...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...