Resting heart rate is a risk factor for cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality - The Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry

In a prospective cohort study, associations of resting heart rate with risk of coronary, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality in ag e-specific cohorts of black and white men and women were examined over 22 y ears of follow-up. Participants were employees from 84 companies and organi zations in the Chicago, Illinois, area who volunteered for a screening exam ination. Participants included 9,706 men aged 18-39 years, 7,760 men aged 4 0-59 years, 1,321 men aged 60-74 years, 6,928 women aged 18-39 years, 6,915 women aged 40-59 years, and 1,151 women aged 60-74 years at the baseline e xamination in 1967-1973. Vital status was ascertained through 1992. For fat al coronary disease, multivariate-adjusted relative risks associated with a 12 beats per minute higher heart rate tone standard deviation) were as fol lows: for men aged 18-39 years, relative risk (RR) = 1.27 (95% confidence i nterval (CI) 1.08-1.48); for men aged 40-59 years, RR = 1.13 (95% CI 1.05-1 .21); for men aged 60-74 years, RR = 1.00 (95% CI 0.89-1.12); for women age d 40-59 years, RR = 1.21 (95% CI 1.07-1.36); and for women aged 60-74 years , RR = 1.16 (95% CI 0.99-1.37). Corresponding risks for all fatal cardiovas cular diseases were similar to those for coronary death alone. Deaths from cancer were significantly associated with heart rate in men and women aged 40-59 years. All-cause mortality was associated with higher heart rate in m en aged 18-39 years (RR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.20), men aged 40-59 years (RR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.11-1.21), and women aged 40-59 years (RR = 1.20, 95% CI 1 .13-1.27). Heart rate was not associated with mortality in women aged 18-39 years. In summary, heart rate was a risk factor for mortality from coronar y disease, all cardiovascular diseases, and all causes in younger men and i n middle-aged men and women, and for cancer mortality in middle-aged men an d women.