Resting heart rate in relation to blood pressure: Results from the World Health Organization—Cardiovascular Disease and Alimentary Comparison Study

Abstract Background Epidemiological studies have reported that increased heart rate (HR) is associated with cardiovascular mortality. We aimed in assessing the hypothesis that HR may influence the outcomes of cardiovascular disease via a pathway related to increases in blood pressure (BP). Methods Data from the World Health Organization—Cardiovascular Disease and Alimentary Comparison (CARDIAC) Study were analyzed to examine the association between resting HR and BP in a sample of 8541 adults aged 48–56 participating in the CARDIAC baseline surveys. Results Increased heart rates were significantly correlated with both systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) in men and women. The overall results (e.g. the pooled regression coefficients) suggest that an increase in each unit of heart rate (beat per minute) was associated with 0.27 mmHg increase in SBP, and 0.09 mmHg in DBP in the total study population sample, and 0.203 mmHg increase in SBP, and 0.252 mmHg increase in DBP in the sub-sample in which subjects with anti-hypertensive medication use were excluded in the analysis. Conclusion The study, by using a large population-based sample, indicates that increased resting heart rates are associated with increased blood pressure. The result supports the hypothesis that the influence of heart rates on cardiovascular mortality may be mediated by elevated blood pressure.