Heart Rate Predicts the Risk of New-Onset Peripheral Arterial Disease in a Community-Based Population in China

Yusi Gao; Fangfang Fan; Jia Jia; Yimeng Jiang; Danmei He; Zhongli Wu; Yong Huo; Jing Zhou; Yan Zhang

doi:10.2147/TCRM.S304491

Heart Rate Predicts the Risk of New-Onset Peripheral Arterial Disease in a Community-Based Population in China

Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2021 Mar 26:17:267-274. doi: 10.2147/TCRM.S304491. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yusi Gao¹, Fangfang Fan¹, Jia Jia¹, Yimeng Jiang¹, Danmei He¹, Zhongli Wu¹, Yong Huo¹, Jing Zhou¹, Yan Zhang¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

Abstract

Introduction: Elevated heart rate is linked with poor prognosis and has been shown to accelerate the progress of atherosclerosis. However, the association between heart rate and new-onset PAD is unknown.

Methods: A total of 3463 participants without PAD at baseline from a community-based cohort in Beijing were included and followed up for 2.3 years. PAD was defined as ankle-brachial index (ABI) ≤0.9. We used multivariate logistic regression models to investigate the association of heart rate and the risk of new-onset PAD.

Results: Participants were 56.67 ± 8.54 years old, and 36.12% were men. The baseline ABI was 1.11 ± 0.08, and the incidence of new-onset PAD was 2.97%. Multivariate regression models, adjusted for sex, age, risk factor of atherosclerosis, medications, and baseline ABI, showed that heart rate was significantly associated with incidence of PAD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.43, P = 0.020); every increase of 10 heart beats per minute (bpm) was associated with a 22% increase in the odds of developing new-onset PAD. Respondents in the higher-heart rate group (≥80 bpm) had an increased risk of new-onset PAD, compared with those in the lower-heart rate group (<80 bpm) (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.14-2.63, P = 0.010). Subgroup analyses revealed no significant heterogeneity among the analyzed subgroups.

Conclusion: Elevated heart rate was independently associated with the risk of new-onset PAD in a community-based population in Beijing. Heart rate management should be considered for the purpose of PAD prevention.

Keywords: ankle–brachial index; cohort studies; heart rate; peripheral arterial disease.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant no. 2017YFC1307704); UMHS-PUHSC Joint Institute for Translational and Clinical Research (grant no. BMU20160530) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities; Scientific Research Seed Fund of Peking University First Hospital (grant no. 2018SF071 and 2018SF003); Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences (Peking University), and Ministry of Education and NHC Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides.