Heart rates ‘can help predict coronary events in women’

Measuring resting heart rates can help predict coronary events in women, independently of physical activity and common risk factors, research claims.

Published on the British Medical Journal website today, a study looked at the resting heart rate in 129,135 postmenopausal women with no history of cardiovascular problems.

And the risk factors that might be expected to affect heart rate, such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, smoking and alcohol intake were all taken into account at the start of the research.

The women were then monitored for an average of 7.8 years, during which time all hospital stays and coronary events were recorded.

During that period, 2,281 coronary events and 1,877 strokes occurred.

Researchers found women with the highest resting heart rate (more than 76 beats per minute) were significantly more likely to suffer an event than women with the lowest resting pace (62 beats per minute or less).

Further studies showed the association between resting heart rate and coronary events was independent of physical activity and was stronger in women between 50 and 64 years of age.