Elevated Resting Heart Rate Linked to Increased Cardiac Risk in Postmenopausal Women
Resting heart rate — a "low tech and inexpensive measure of autonomic tone" — independently predicts coronary risk in postmenopausal women, according to an analysis from the Women's Health Initiative published online in BMJ.
Researchers measured resting heart rate among nearly 130,000 postmenopausal women without histories of MI, stroke, or coronary revascularization. During 8 years' follow-up, 2300 coronary events (MI or coronary death) and 1900 strokes occurred.
After adjustment for confounders including age, smoking, hormone use, and physical activity, coronary risk was 26% higher among women with the highest resting heart rates (greater than 76 beats/minute) than among those with the lowest (62 beats/minute or less). Resting heart rate did not predict stroke risk.
The authors conclude that the association between resting heart rate and coronary risk "might be large enough to be clinically meaningful."
Researchers measured resting heart rate among nearly 130,000 postmenopausal women without histories of MI, stroke, or coronary revascularization. During 8 years' follow-up, 2300 coronary events (MI or coronary death) and 1900 strokes occurred.
After adjustment for confounders including age, smoking, hormone use, and physical activity, coronary risk was 26% higher among women with the highest resting heart rates (greater than 76 beats/minute) than among those with the lowest (62 beats/minute or less). Resting heart rate did not predict stroke risk.
The authors conclude that the association between resting heart rate and coronary risk "might be large enough to be clinically meaningful."
posted by vanwash at 9:55 PM
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