Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The current definition of sinus tachycardia is a heart rate.100 beats per minute (bpm).1 This limit was set arbitrarily when heart rate was not yet regarded as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, probably with the main purpose of distinguishing between a disease state (fever, thyrotoxicosis, anemia, congestive heart failure, etc) and a normal condition. Tachycardia as a Cardiovascular Risk Factor In recent years, interest has been aroused by the awareness that fast heart rate is a potent precursor of hypertension, atherosclerosis, and their sequelae.2–10 In addition, many leading epidemiological studies have shown that tachycardia is associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovas-cular and noncardiovascular causes. This relationship has been found in general populations,3–7 in elderly individuals,9 and in hypertensive cohorts.10 In all of these studies, the heart
Paolo Palatini (Mon,) studied this question.