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A mental stress-related increase in heart rate before exercise appears to be associated with an increased risk of heart attack later in life for men, says a French study that included more than 7,700 men who were followed for an average of 23 years.
Those whose heart rate increased by more than 12 beats per minute during mild mental stress prior to an exercise test at the start of the study were twice as likely to die of sudden heart attack later in life than men whose heart rate increased by less than 4 beats per minute, CBC News reported.
The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, suggest a simple and inexpensive method of predicting the risk of death from sudden heart attack risk.
"People who showed a much higher rate increased with mild mental stress could be considered for additional investigations and for tailored preventive strategies, aimed in the first place at reducing the probability of heart disease," Professor Xavier Jouven, Hopital Européen Georges Pompidou in Paris, said in a news release, CBC News reported.
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My heartbeat has always been faster than average, even when I'm in training and at my ideal weight. I've raised this issue with various doctors over the years, had tests and been generally reassured as to my heart's good health and proper function. Recently a friend of mine who is also a registered nurse and fitness consultant devised a cardio program for me. Her initial evaluation included listening to my chest with a stethoscope before and after running. She couldn't hear any murmurs or anything, and my hr and blood pressure was almost the same as her own would be under like conditions. Before exercise my heart rate was 112 and after it was 188. Lying down it was 88. I'm told there's nothing unhealthy about these numbers but the recent body of research linking high rhr to general ill health and early death still worries me. Can anyone offer comments/advice on this matter please?
November 9, 2012 - 9:06pmThis Comment