The association between resting heart rate, cardiovascular disease and mortality: Evidence from 112,680 men and women in 12 cohorts

Background: Multiple studies have examined the relationship between heart rate and mortality; however, there are discrepancies in results. Our aim was to describe the relationship between resting heart rate (RHR) and both major cardiovascular (CV) outcomes, as well as all-cause mortality in the Asia-Pacific region.Design and methods: Individual data from 112,680 subjects in 12 cohort studies were pooled and analysed using Cox models, stratified by study and sex, and adjusted for age and systolic blood pressure.Results: During a mean 7.4 years follow-up, 6086 deaths and 2726 fatal or nonfatal CV events were recorded. There was a continuous, increasing association between having a RHR above approximately 65 beats/min and the risk of both CV and all-cause mortality, yet there was no evidence of associations below this threshold. The hazard ratio (95% CI) comparing the extreme quarters of RHR (80+