Resting heart rate is associated with metabolic syndrome and predicted 10‐year risk of cardiovascular disease: a cross‐sectional study

Background This study examined whether resting heart rate (RHR) was associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the 10‐year predicted risk of cardiovascular disease in a Chinese population. Methods The associations of RHR with MetS and 10‐year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) was examined in a cross‐sectional study conducted in Shanghai, China (n = 9486). Results Compared with individuals in the lowest RHR quintile (≤71 b.p.m.), those in the highest quintile (≥91 b.p.m.) had a higher prevalence of MetS (21.2% vs 32.6%, respectively; P < 0.001). Logistic regression analyses showed that the multivariate‐adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for MetS was 1.13 (1.08‐1.18) for each 10‐b.p.m. increment of RHR (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, RHR was strongly associated with the prevalence of hypertension, high blood glucose, and dyslipidemia, but not with central obesity. A stronger association of RHR with MetS was observed among individuals aged <65 years, male, with a body mass index <24 kg/m2, without diabetes, hypertension, abnormal lipids, and insulin resistance than among their counterparts (P < 0.05 for all). A significantly higher 10‐year risk for ASCVD was observed with each 10‐b.p.m. increment in RHR in both men and women (ORs [95% CIs] 1.20 [1.07‐1.33] and 1.28 [1.17‐1.39], respectively; Ptrend = 0.002 and < 0.0001, respectively). Conclusions In this study, RHR was associated with a higher prevalence of MetS and elevated 10‐year predicted risk of ASCVD in both Chinese men and women. Whether RHR may serve as an indicator for MetS among relatively healthy individuals requires further investigation.