Elevated Resting Pulse Increases Risk of Death

People who have a high resting heart rate (RHR) suffer an increased risk of death, even if they are physically fit and healthy, claims a new study.

Researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte (Denmark), Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg (Denmark), and others conducted a longitudinal study of 2,798 healthy middle-aged employed men participating in the Copenhagen Male Study, who were followed for 16 years; subjects with sinus rhythm and without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes were included, and were classified into categories according to level of RHR. The goal of the study was to assess whether elevated RHR is an independent risk factor for mortality, or a mere marker of physical fitness (VO2Max).

The results showed that RHR was inversely related to physical fitness. Overall, increasing RHR was highly associated with mortality in a graded manner, after adjusting for physical fitness, leisure-time physical activity, and other cardiovascular risk factors. Compared to men with a RHR under 50, those with a RHR of over 90 had a relative risk of 3.06. With RHR as a continuous variable, risk of mortality increased by 16% per 10 beats per minute (bpm). There was a borderline RHR interaction with smoking, with a 20% risk per 10 bpm in smokers, compared to 14% in nonsmokers. In all, during the study period, 1,082 deaths occurred. The study was published early online on April 17, 2013, in the BMJ journal Heart.

“Unsurprisingly, a high resting heart rate was associated with lower levels of physical fitness, higher blood pressure, and weight, and higher levels of circulating blood fats. Similarly, men who were physically active tended to have lower resting heart rates,” concluded lead author Magnus Thorsten Jensen, MD, of the department of cardiology, and colleagues. “We found that irrespective of level of physical fitness, subjects with high resting heart rates fare worse than subjects with lower heart rates. This suggests that a high resting heart rate is not a mere marker of poor physical fitness, but is an independent risk factor.”

Related Links:
Copenhagen University Hospital Gentofte
Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg