Higher Heart Rate is Independently Associated with Abnormal Body Mass Index in a J Shape Pattern.

Abstract

High heart rate is independently associated with higher cardiovascular mortality and usually occurs in sedentary persons. Inactivity can also lead to obesity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between body mass index as an independent marker of high heart rate. Data generated from screening echocardiography, for the prevention of sudden death at the Anthony Bates Foundation, was used. Data from 1,340 subjects, with documented heart rate (HR) and body mass index, between the ages 19-79 years with a mean age of 32 years, was used. We correlated the presence of a high heart rate (HR) > 90 beats per minute (BPM)) with different body mass index (BMI) categories. High heart rate was significantly associated with higher BMI categories and underweight subjects in adults suggesting a J shape association. A total of 22.7% of participants with a HR of more than 90 bpm had BMI > 40 kg/m2, vs 19.0% of patients with BMI of 35-40 kg/m2 vs 13.5% of subjects with BMI of 30-35 kg/m2 vs 12.2% of subjects with BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 - 29.9 kg/m2, vs in 10.3% of subjects with BMI between 18.5-25 kg/m2 , P< 0.01) Furthermore, increased HR was also more prevalent in underweight patient. (17.4% in subjects with BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 }. High heart rate is strongly associated with obesity and underweight suggesting that maintaining a normal weight is associated with most positive effect on the cardiovascular system.