[Is resting heart rate a cardiovascular risk factor?]

Praxis (Bern 1994). 2008 May 28;97(11):601-11. doi: 10.1024/1661-8157.97.11.601.
[Article in German]

Abstract

During recent years, resting heart rate was not considered as a cardiovascular risk factor. However, new evidences have showed that resting heart rate is an important prognostic factor for sudden cardiac death and heart failure in the general population, and especially among patients with known cardiac disease. Interestingly, resting heart rate not only predicts cardiac mortality but also all-cause mortality. The most common pathophysiological explanation is related to the fact that increased heart rate increases myocardial oxygen consumption and in parallel reduces coronary blood flow (reduction in the diastolic duration).

MeSH terms

  • Benzazepines / therapeutic use
  • Cause of Death
  • Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels / drug effects
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / epidemiology
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / etiology*
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / prevention & control
  • Depression, Chemical
  • Heart Failure / etiology*
  • Heart Failure / mortality
  • Heart Failure / prevention & control
  • Heart Rate* / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Ivabradine
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Reference Values
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Benzazepines
  • Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels
  • Ivabradine