The Epidemiology of Resting Heart Rate in a Male Working Population: Association with Blood Pressure, Age, Smoking Habits and Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors

AIM: To evaluate heart rate and its relationship with some established cardiovascular risk factors in normotensive and hypertensive individuals. METHODS: We studied 881 1 men, 696 with essential hypertension and 8115 with normal blood pressure, stratified in four age groups: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 and 50-59 years. Clinical evaluation included measures of heart rate (by pulse palpation), blood pressure (by mercury sphygmomanometer), total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose and fibrinogen, and details of medical history and personal habits, with particular regard to smoking habits. RESULTS: Heart rate, which was significantly higher in hypertensive than in normotensive individuals, showed no significant change with age in the normotensive group, but a slight decline with increasing age in those with hypertension. In the normotensive group, heart rate was significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers and ex-smokers, and showed no significant variation with increasing age, independently of smoking habits. Among those with hypertension, heart rate was not statistically different in smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers, and showed a moderate decrease with age in non-smokers and ex-smokers, but did not change with age in smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Both ageing and smoking habits have different effects on heart rate in normotensive and hypertensive individuals.