Objective: To investigate the relationship between resting heart rate (RHR) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in healthy Chinese population.
Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study, and a total of 5 852 participants were selected with stratified random sampling from the 101 510 workers of Tangshan Kailuan company who received the health examination during 2010-2011 including epidemiological investigation, biochemical indicators measurement and baPWV measurement. A total of 5 440 participants met the inclusion criteria (aged 40 years or older, without stroke, transient ischemic attack and myocardial infarction) and 5 153 participants (3 110 males, mean age (55.1 ± 11.8) years old) with integral data were finally recruited into the final analysis. The observation population was divided into four groups according to RHR collected during health examinations:quartile 1 (RHR ≤ 63 beats/min, n = 1 405); quartile 2 (63 beats/min < RHR ≤ 69 beats/min, n = 1 176); quartile 3 (69 beats/min < RHR ≤ 76 beats/min, n = 1 322); quartile 4 (RHR > 76 beats/min, n = 1 250). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between RHR and baPWV.
Results: (1) The mean baPWV was (1 586 ± 400) cm/s, and the detection rates of baPWV ≥ 1 400 cm/s was 61.8% (3 185/5 153). (2) The baPWV of quartile 1, 2, 3 and 4 were (1 511 ± 338) cm/s, (1 533 ± 329) cm/s, (1 574 ± 368) cm/s and (1 734 ± 462) cm/s, respectively, and the detection rates of baPWV ≥ 1 400 cm/s were 54.7% (769/1 405) , 56.0% (658/1 176), 63.1% (834/1 322) and 74.3% (929/1 150) , respectively. (3) Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the detection rates of baPWV were significantly higher in quartile 2, 3 and 4 compared to quartile 1, and the OR values were 1.37 (95% CI: 1.11-1.69), 1.96 (95% CI: 1.59-2.41) and 2.60 (95% CI: 2.07-3.25), respectively, after adjusting for age, gender and systolic blood pressure, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, hs-CRP, antihypertensive agents, smoking and exercise status.
Conclusion: RHR is positively associated with baPWV in healthy Chinese population.