Korean Circ J.  2016 Nov;46(6):834-840. 10.4070/kcj.2016.46.6.834.

Resting Heart Rate and Aortic Stiffness in Normotensive Adults

• Logan JG
• Kim SS

• KMID: 2355460
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2016.46.6.834

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Large-artery stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is considered the gold standard measure of arterial stiffness. A resting heart rate is an easily measured vital sign that is also associated with CVD morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have reported the significant relationship of a resting heart rate with arterial stiffness as measured by cfPWV only in hypertensive subjects; their relationship in nonhypertensive subjects remains unknown. The present study, therefore, examined their relationship in normotensive subjects.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
In 102 healthy Korean Americans between ages 20 and 60 years, their resting heart rate was measured by an automated blood pressure measuring device after a 10 minute rest in the supine position. Arterial stiffness was measured by cfPWV using the SphygmoCor device.
RESULTS
The mean resting heart rate of participants (mean age, 39.64 years; 59% women) was 61.91 bpm (standard deviation [SD], 9.62 bpm) and mean the cfPWV was 6.99 (SD, 1.14) m/s. A multiple regression analysis showed that a resting heart rate is a significant predictor of cfPWV after controlling for age, body mass index, and mean arterial pressure. For one bpm increase of resting heart rate, cfPWV increased approximately 0.02 m/s.
CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that a higher resting heart rate is independently associated with increased arterial stiffness as measured by cfPWV in normotensive adults. Arterial stiffness may explain the prognostic role of an individual's heart rate in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Keyword

Heart rate; Arterial stiffness; Cardiovascular diseases; Pulse wave velocity; Hypertension

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Arterial Pressure
Asian Americans
Blood Pressure
Body Mass Index
Cardiovascular Diseases
Heart Rate*
Heart*
Humans
Hypertension
Mortality
Pulse Wave Analysis
Supine Position
Vascular Stiffness*
Vital Signs

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The scatterplot graphic between resting heart rate and cfPWV. PWV=5.293+0.028 RHR, p=0.019, R-Square= 0.054. cfPWV: carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, RHR: resting heart rate.

• 

  Fig. 2 Mean cfPWV in resting heart rate quartile groups. Covariates appearing in the model are evaluated at the following values: Age=39.64 years, BMI=23.59, and MAP=87.85. cfPWV difference between Q1&Q4=0.491 m/s (p=0.031) and between Q2&Q4=0.589 m/s (p=0.016). cfPWV: carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, BMI: body mass index, MAP: mean arterial pressure.

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